Kidnapped by a Murderer
by WritingOpensSouls
Summary: Yugi witnesses a murder. Of course, there can't be any witnesses. The murderer then kidnaps Yugi so that he won't tell anyone what he saw. The murderer? Yami.
1. Chapter 1: Kidnapped

**As I'm sure you all know, I do NOT own Yu-gi-oh. I am just a fan having fun writing a fanfic.**

* * *

Yugi was steadily making his way home despite all the pain. He had just gotten away from some bullies. They had been hitting him for a long time before he finally managed to escape. Now he was struggling to make it back home regardless of his many injuries. Getting home wouldn't be much better anyways. His parents didn't care about him at all. There was also a chance his father was drunk or a in a bad mood. If that was the case he would probably get another beating.

It was getting dark now. The sunset was beautiful, but at this point Yugi really didn't care. A few feet away from him was a dark alleyway and he could hear sounds down it. Curious, he stopped to look down the alley. He froze, horrified at what he saw.

There was a man there, holding another man up against a wall by the neck. The guy holding the other guy's throat looked a lot like Yugi. He had the same star-shaped hair that stuck up. There were also many differences. The man's eyes were red, not purple like Yugi's. Yugi had blond bangs, so did the stranger, except some of his stuck up to highlight his black hair. The man's black hair seemed to be crimson around the edges. Yugi could just barely make out some of the words they were saying.

"I… I can't tell you… I won't…" The poor guy shoved against the wall stuttered shakily.

"Tell me." The dark stranger commanded in a deep and threatening voice.

"I… can't." The victim repeated. Just then, the attacker turned his head to see down the alley after sensing another presence there. He saw a boy watching them. The dark man growled in frustration. He knew he couldn't take the risk of having someone witness the exchange. He would have to threaten someone else later. He quickly snapped the other man's neck, who died instantly, and turned to walk down the alley towards the boy. No witnesses.

Yugi stood there, too scared to move. His mind kept yelling at him to run but his body wouldn't obey. Finally he gained control and turned to run, but the stranger was too fast for him. An arm tightened around the boy's waist, pinning his arms to his sides, while a hand clamped around Yugi's mouth to keep him from screaming. Yugi struggled with all his might.

The stranger managed to pull him in the direction he wanted to go, but it was hard with the boy struggling so much. He needed to get out fast and the boy was not helping. The man knew he had to do something to keep the boy quiet long enough for him to get away from this place.

Yugi felt a hard blow to his head and darkness started closing in around him. Before he faded out of consciousness he saw his attackers lips move, but his mind was too fuzzy to recognize what he said. It looked like he said 'I'm sorry', but that couldn't be right. This man was a murderer!

* * *

Yugi woke up in a dim room. Once his eyes adjusted, he could see the contents. The only thing in the room was the simple wooden bed he was lying on. The room wasn't very big, about 15 feet wide and 10 feet across. The floor was plain concrete, as were the walls. A metal door was set into one side of the room. The bed he was lying on was a few feet away from the right corner, on the opposite side of the room from the door.

Yugi sat up and instantly regretted it. His head hurt like crazy, not to mention the other injuries he had gotten from the bullies earlier. Yugi tenderly lifted a hand to his head. Then the fear set in. He had been kidnapped. By a murderer! _What is he going to do to me? Is he going to kill me too? _Yugi was horrified at the thought.

The worst part is, he knew no one would come to save him. His parents would probably be happy he was gone. And it's not like anyone at school would even notice his absence. Yugi's mind was consumed by fear as he thought about how easily his kidnapper had killed that other man. His only question was, why am I not already dead? His kidnapper had had plenty of time to just kill him and get it over with. Yugi froze in horror as he heard footsteps outside his room. He jumped up, ignoring the pain that shot through his body, and sat down in the corner by his bed. Yugi pulled his knees to his chest as he pushed himself back into the corner, knowing that the murderer was coming.

The dark stranger walked into the room and noticed the empty bed. He calmly walked around it and saw the boy huddled in the corner. "P-please don't hurt me…" The boy begged him. His eyes were full of innocence… and fear. The stranger could tell this boy was terrified. The man's eyes softened.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He told the boy softly. The boy's expression didn't change and the man knew he didn't trust him. The man moved closer to the boy, but stopped when he heard him whimper with fear. The stranger bent down so he was eye level with the boy huddled in the corner. "There's no need to be afraid, little one. I just need to keep you here until I'm sure you won't tell anyone what you saw last night."

Yugi looked at the man he knew was a murderer. He seemed nice, but he had still killed another person… and kidnapped him. The ten-year old had only too much experience with people who wanted to hurt him. How did he know this man wasn't going to hurt him?

The stranger could still see this boy's fear plainly. _I've told him I'm not going to hurt him. There's really not much else I can say to comfort him... Why won't he believe me? _It was then the man noticed all the wounds the boy had. His eyes pulled together in concern for this boy. Besides knocking the child out, which he still felt bad about, he had done nothing to hurt him. So then why were there so many other injuries? _Someone has intentionally hurt this boy. _The stranger thought.

Yugi saw concern on the murderer's face. But why? Yugi didn't care. His only emotion and thought right now was fear. His heart pounded in his chest, fueled by the terror Yugi felt. Maybe he could escape? No, that might make the murderer decide keeping him wasn't worth it and kill him. What could he do?

The man, concerned at some of the more serious wounds, reached out to grab the child's arm, which had a weird look to it, as if it were broken. The boy whimpered and pulled away from him. The stranger gently took the boy's arm anyway and began to examine it.

Yugi just knew that the murderer meant to harm him. He was terrified, but he knew that if he tried to pull away, the man might hurt him more. Yugi bit his bottom lip nervously, anticipating the pain. The man felt his arm at the point where one of the bullies had broken it. Yugi cried out in pain when he touched it. Surprisingly, the murderer quickly pulled his hand away and the pain went away a little.

The boy's arm was definitely broken. He felt a deep concern and sorrow for the child. The man released the child's arm, who quickly pulled it back to cradle it in his other arm. Trying to distract the boy from the pain he must be feeling, the dark stranger smiled and said, "I'm Yami, in case you wanted to know. What is your name, little one?"

The murderer… no, Yami had just smiled at him! Was that good? Or perhaps it was bad… Still, there was a bigger problem now: Yami had asked his name. _Should I tell him? Would that end up being bad for me later? Would it be bad for me now? Would he hurt me if I didn't tell him? _Endless questions raced through Yugi's mind as he contemplated telling Yami his name.

"You don't have to tell me." Yami said, seeing the boy's conflict. Yami stood and left.

Once he was gone, Yugi sighed in relief. "At least I'm still alive." Yugi muttered to himself. Now that his fear wasn't so strong, the pain became noticeable again. Yugi cringed and tried not to move. _Great. I've been kidnapped by a murderer._


	2. Chapter 2: He Cares?

It wasn't long before Yugi heard footsteps coming down the hall again. Yugi lifted his head off his knees, his eyes widening in fear. He was back already… Had he just left to get a weapon to kill him with?

Yami entered the room carrying a tray; he turned and locked the door behind him. Yami wasn't surprised to see the boy in the same corner he had found him in. It must hurt to move. The boy whimpered in fear as he came closer.

Yugi saw Yami come in carrying a tray. What was on that tray? It was probably something meant to kill him with. He watched as Yami came closer. _He's going to kill me… I just know it… please let it be quick…_ Yugi's terrified thoughts came through in a small whimper.

Yami hesitated. He didn't want to frighten the boy. Yami continued and knelt next to the boy. He placed the tray down beside him and studied the boy. The child started to shake and he looked horrified as he looked between Yami and the tray.

Yugi looked at the contents of the tray and his fear increased. On the tray he saw a roll of fabric, scissors, a bottle of… something, and some pills. All of those things could be used to kill someone! Yugi started breathing rapidly and he felt himself getting dizzy. _He's really going to kill me… I knew it…_

Yami reached out towards the boy. The child whimpered slightly and tried to get away. "It's alright, little one. I'm trying to help you." Yami said, trying to comfort the boy. He gently touched the boy's forehead to make sure he wasn't sick. After withdrawing he asked, "Where does it hurt the most?"

Yugi was scared, but his question surprised him. _If he wants to kill me, then why is he bothering to heal me? Maybe he wants to use me somehow… _

The boy didn't answer him. Yami didn't blame him, he was probably terrified. "Lie down." Yami's voice was soft, but commanding.

Yugi felt his heart pound faster. He was scared what would happen if he obeyed, but even more scared of what would happen if he didn't. Slowly and painfully, he scooted away from the wall and lowered himself to the ground.

Once the boy was lying down, Yami carefully put his hand just below the child's chest to feel for broken ribs. The boy winced and Yami withdrew slightly. He didn't feel any broken bones, but they were most-likely bruised. After checking for any other serious injuries, Yami reached for the tray. He picked up the scissors and saw the boy's eyes widen with fright. "It's alright, little one." Yami reassured. Yami also picked up the roll of fabric and cut it into strips to be used as bandages. He put some of the antiseptic in the bottle on the fabric and proceeded to wrap any major cuts the child had. The only broken bone Yami had found was his broken arm. He gently took the boy's arm, trying his best not to cause any pain. Yami pushed the bone into place, making the child cry out in pain. "I'm sorry." Yami said gently. Yami then wrapped the arm in thick bandages so it wouldn't move as much. "There. All done." Yami said with a comforting smile.

Yugi was still in pain, but at least the pain distracted him from the fear. Of course, that quickly returned when he saw Yami pick up the pills on the tray. "Here, take these." Yami said as he offered them to him on his palm. Yugi looked at the pills in horror. What if these pills were meant to kill him? But, why would he bother trying to heal him just to poison him moments later? It probably wouldn't hurt to take them… Yugi slowly sat up, wincing in pain, and then reached out to take the pills from Yami. Yugi managed to swallow the capsules. He didn't notice any immediate change, so at least it didn't kill people immediately.

Satisfied, Yami stood and picked up the tray, along with its contents, and walked to the door. He looked back at the terrified boy. He hoped the painkillers he gave him would take effect soon so the boy wouldn't be in as much pain.

* * *

Yugi was surprised to find that most of the pain started to go away after about a half an hour. But why? _Those pills… They must have been to get rid of the pain!_ Yugi felt so conflicted. _This man… Yami… He's a murderer! He has to be evil… But… at the same time… He seemed… kind. This whole time he has been so nice to me._ Yugi honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

Then Yugi heard footsteps again. His heart started pounding with fear, but not as harshly as before. Yami walked into the room carrying another tray, but this one had food on it, Yugi was sure of that. Yugi suddenly realized he actually was very hungry. It had been a while since he'd eaten. Yami knelt down next to him and set the tray beside Yugi. "Here. I figured you'd be hungry." Yami told him gently before standing and leaving again.

Yugi looked hungrily at the food. Did he dare eat it? Yugi reached out his good arm to grab a piece of bread and dip it in the soup provided. When he ate, he was surprised to find that the food actually tasted good. After eating everything he was given, Yugi found himself exhausted. He tried to stand, but he was too weak. The recent events had left him barely able to move. Eventually, Yugi was so tired he just leaned his head back against the wall and fell asleep.

Yami walked in a while later. He found the boy asleep on the floor. Wishing to make him more comfortable, Yami gingerly picked him up and placed him on the bed. He then pulled the blanket over the child to keep him warm. Yami found himself smiling at the sleeping boy. Yami took the tray of empty dishes with him as he left again.

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes a little. _How long have I been asleep? _Yugi wondered. His eyes shot open when he realized where he was. _I thought I fell asleep against the wall… He must have moved me. _Yugi tried to sit up, but quickly laid back down as the pain returned. The medicine must have worn off. Half an hour after Yugi had woken up he heard the familiar footsteps of Yami approaching. When Yami came in he was carrying another tray of food. It must have been around breakfast time. Yugi still felt a little afraid whenever Yami came back. He just couldn't get the image of him killing that man out of his head. However, he was also starting to trust Yami.

"Good morning, little one." Yami said warmly as he offered the tray of food to the child. The boy managed to sit up, with a wince, hesitantly took the tray, and began to eat the food. Yami smiled and sat down at the end of the bed. He was pleased to see that the boy didn't look as terrified as he was before whenever Yami came into the room.

Yugi knew he should feel afraid as Yami stayed in the room with him, but for some reason, he didn't. Yugi only felt slightly uncomfortable now. Yami hadn't intentionally hurt him so far and Yugi was starting to believe that he wasn't going to. Yugi was eating the muffins he had been given for breakfast, but now he noticed two pills, just like the ones he had taken before, sitting beside a glass of water. Yami must have known the effect would wear off by now and given him more. Yugi hesitantly took the medicine, washing it down with water. For some reason, this seemed to make Yami happy.

_At least he trusts me enough to take the medicine I gave him. I honestly thought he would refuse them. _Yami thought as he watched the innocent, young boy eat. Yami looked over the boy again, at all the injuries he had received. Yami had been wondering about them all night. Finally, he decided to ask the child. "Little one, who hurt you?" Yami said gently, gesturing to his wounds.

Yugi looked up at Yami, then looked away. _Yami must actually care about me… What other reason would there be for him to ask that? _Yugi figured there was no harm in telling him so he said in a shaky voice "I… Some bullies jumped me on my way home from school…"

Yami's eyes narrowed. "Why would they want to hurt you?" Yami asked the boy gently.

"I… I don't know. It seems like everyone just wants to hurt me for the fun of it… Even… Even my parents." Yugi looked up at Yami and saw Yami's eyes burning with rage at his words. Yugi froze with fear. _Is he angry with me? What did I say? Is he going to hurt me? _

Yami was simply outraged that people would do such a thing to an innocent, young boy. Even the boy's parents? _What a hard life this child has had. _Yami came out of his thoughts to see the boy frozen in fear. He wondered why for a second before realizing how furious he must look. Yami's face softened. "Don't worry, little one. I'm not angry at you."

Yugi relaxed a little. "Yami?" Yami smiled at him, encouraging him to continue. "Why… Why are you angry?" Yugi asked tentatively.

Yami smiled sadly at the boy's innocence. "I'm mad at the people who did this to you." The innocent youth looked shocked, then looked down.

"I'm used to it. Sometimes it seems like everyone hates me..." Yugi even surprised himself at how open he was being.

_This child has never known love or compassion. _Yami realized.


	3. Chapter 3: Friendship

**Hey guys! I'm actually surprised anyone even likes my stories. Besides my family, I've never had anyone read them, so it's weird having people read them… and even more weird that they like my writing. Thanks everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, my birthday is almost here (just updated. My birthday was a while ago, so sadly, now it's over. But, it was a great birthday.), and I've been kind of lazy. Anyways… you all want to read the next chapter, so enough of my pointless rambling!**

* * *

Yami spent the rest of the day talking with Yugi. They had moved on to lighter topics, not going into their pasts. Most of their conversations were about things like 'What's your favorite color?' or 'Do you like curry?'. Yugi was surprised to find that he was enjoying talking with Yami. He had never had a conversation like this with anyone... Was this friendship?

Yami smiled and laughed with the boy until they both heard the child's stomach rumble. Both of them laughed and Yami got up and gathered the dishes from breakfast. "I'll go get us some lunch... Well, I suppose it's around dinner time now. I'll be back soon." Yami was pleased to see the boy looked reluctant for him to leave.

Yugi waited for Yami to return. In a way, he was glad for the time alone. Yugi felt very conflicted. His feelings didn't seem to make sense... Even though he had seen Yami do terrible things, he couldn't help liking his kidnapper. Yami had been nothing but kind to him and honestly, it was the first time in Yugi's life someone had wanted to have a friendly conversation with him. Most people avoided Yugi or wanted to hurt him. Yami actually seemed to care about him.

Yami returned after a while and Yugi couldn't help smiling. Instantly the delicious smell of steak and mashed potatoes with gravy floated to him. Considering the two had talked through lunch, Yugi was hungry. Yami handed him a tray of food and then sat down on the bed to eat his own dinner. Yugi was about to start eating when he noticed something. There has a perfectly sharp steak knife sitting right there, waiting for him to use it.

Yami noticed the boy's interest in the knife he had given him. Of course, he wasn't at all concerned by it. He could only see innocence in the child's eyes and knew the boy would never hurt him.

_A knife. He gave me a knife! _Yugi thought frantically. Yugi knew he could just injure... or kill... his kidnapper and escape. _No! _Yugi was disgusted that he had even thought of such a thing. Yugi was _not _the kind of person who would hurt someone intentionally. He would find some other way to escape... Yugi was not going to resort to such a terrible thing. Besides, it's not like he was in mortal danger at the moment. Yugi picked up the knife and began to cut up his food and eat it. He saw Yami smile out of the corner of his eye.

Yami talked with the child a while longer. "Are you ever going to tell me your name, little one?" Yami asked suddenly. It had been bothering him for some time now. The boy looked surprised and tense, then he relaxed.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Yugi replied, smiling. He had come to trust Yami. More than he'd ever trusted anyone... "My name's Yugi."

"I like it. It suits you." Yami told Yugi with a smile. After the introduction, the two talked for a while longer. Eventually they both got tired and decided to call it a night.

"Good night, little one." Yami said as he left. Even though he knew Yugi's name now, he still liked to refer to the small, innocent boy as 'little one'. It still seemed like the best nickname for the boy he had come to care about so much.

"Good night, Yami." Yugi replied, watching him leave. After he was gone, Yugi snuggled into the bed. His confusing thoughts kept swirling around in his head. Yugi's kidnapper had become his best friend.

* * *

**Sorry about the short chapter guys. I just felt like that was a good place to end it. Plus, I'm lazy. I know, I know, don't hate me. I'll try and update soon! :) Love you all! **

**P.S. Thanks for reading and feel free to review, follow, or whatever it is you want to do. Have a great day!**


	4. Chapter 4: A New Home

The rest of the week seemed to follow the same schedule. Yami spent most of his time talking with Yugi in his room and usually only left to bring him food. Sometimes though, Yami would leave on 'important business'. Yugi could only guess at what that 'business' was.

Yami had grown close to Yugi. He enjoyed having someone to talk to, considering he had spent most of his time alone before. Yami could tell Yugi enjoyed it too, but perhaps that's because he had nothing else to do in that room all day.

On the last night of the week, Yugi had become so curious about Yami's 'business' that he finally decided to ask him about it. After Yugi had asked the question, Yami sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm sure you remember the night I met you… Well, kidnapped you." Yami chuckled. "You witnessed me talking to a man."

"You killed him." Yugi interrupted, remembering clearly the horrifying scene.

Yami looked down. "Yes." Yami sounded depressed at the thought.

"Do you regret it?" Yugi cocked his head at Yami. Yami didn't answer at first.

"Only a little." Yugi looked surprised, and a little horrified, at Yami's answer. Yami looked up to see Yugi's expression. He hated to see the disgust in Yugi's eyes. "You must understand, little one. It's hard to regret that man's death after him and his people killed my family and friends." Yugi gasped.

"That man… He killed your family and friends?" Yugi asked tentatively.

"No… Not that man in particular. It was the evil organization he was part of." Yugi looked confused as Yami said this and he knew Yugi wanted an explanation. "As a civilian, you probably don't know anything about this. The society is top secret. They only plan on revealing themselves to the world when they are powerful enough to control it."

"So… They want to take over the world?" Yugi asked. Yami considered for a moment.

"Pretty much. The group I am part of… or was, considering I'm the only one left… is trying to stop them. The night you saw me I had captured one of their men and was interrogating him. I had to kill him, and kidnap you, to make sure no information about me reached my enemies." The whole thing was a complicated mess, and Yami tried to explain it to Yugi in a way he would understand.

Yugi contemplated the information he had been given. Then, the thought occurred to him. What if it was the other way around and Yami was the bad guy, and this society was the good? No… that couldn't be right. "Yami, I trust you. If you tell me that's what happened, then I will believe you." Yugi stated bravely.

"Thank you, Yugi." Yami said, smiling.

"Plus, I can assure you, I would never tell them anything about you."

Yami just smiled some more. "I know. I've come to realize that. I've also decided that tomorrow I can send you home. I don't believe you are a threat to me."

Yugi's heart sank and panic started to grow inside of him. He had been hoping for that news ever since he had been kidnapped. But, now that he could go home, he didn't want to. 'Home' consisted of a house full of people who hated and wanted to hurt Yugi. His time with Yami had been much better than how it would have been at home.

Yami saw the distress this news had caused Yugi. He remembered all the wounds Yugi had had the first night here. Then, it occurred to Yami that Yugi might not want to go home. His suspicions were confirmed soon after.

"Yami… I… I don't want to return to that place. Everyone there hates me… They hurt me a lot… Please… Please, can I stay here with you?" Yugi begged, tears filling his eyes. Yami's eyes softened and he hugged the small boy.

"If that is what you wish, I would be glad to have you stay." Yami told him gently as Yugi clung to his embrace.

Yami held Yugi until he had calmed down.

"I... I really don't have to go back?" Yugi asked, pulling away slightly.

"Of course." Yami said. "Now, if you're going to be staying, let's find you a more comfortable room." Yami got up and took Yugi's hand. Yugi followed him, his excitement growing, as they left the room. Yugi looked around as he followed behind Yami. They were currently walking down a rather dim hallway. Many other doors led to rooms just like the room Yugi had stayed in. All of them were empty.

At the end of the hallway was a metal door. Yami unlocked it and they went through. From then on, everything was much brighter and full of luxuries that had been absent where Yugi had been. They walked across polished marble floors and the walls were painted a dark purple. Beautiful tapestries hung on the walls, along with other decorations. Yugi gaped at the beauty of it all.

Yami smiled at the expression of wonder Yugi had. He led Yugi to a room just down the hall from his own. The room had soft, white carpet. The walls were painted a deep, mesmerizing blue with beautiful silver etchings making pictures around the room. The bed set against the wall had comforters the same color as the walls as well as silver curtains surrounding it. Other furniture and decorations filled the room that was now Yugi's, also matching the blue theme.

Yugi stopped in the doorway and stared, hypnotized by the magnificent room. Yami smiled, looking back at him. "This will be your room, Yugi." Yami told him, breaking Yugi out of his trance.

"Really? It's the most beautiful room I've ever seen. How?..." Yugi was still looking around his new room.

"Well, my family had a rather large sum of money, so we figured we should have a nice headquarters." Yami couldn't seem to stop smiling.

Yugi couldn't believe that he would be staying in such a wonderful place. In the past he simply slept in the attic. His parents gave him the lowest quality stuff they could find, not wanting to spend money on a son they never wanted.

After showing Yugi his room, Yami showed him around the rest of the headquarters. It was huge and every room was just as beautiful as the next. Yugi was having a lot of fun seeing all the beautiful rooms and memorizing where everything was. Yami was having just as much fun watching Yugi. He enjoyed seeing the boy so happy.

Finally, after walking around the whole building, which was hidden deep in the mountains, they both went to the kitchen to make dinner. Yugi helped Yami make dinner, though he didn't have to help much. After spending so much time alone, Yami was a fantastic cook. Dinner was made and they ate it in the kitchen, not bothering to go to the massive dinning room. They talked some more before heading to their separate bedrooms.

Yugi felt the same awe and disbelief as before when he walked into his room. Yugi got into the big, soft bed and almost instantly fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Kidnapped Again

"Master, we have received new information." The second in command told his leader.

"Really? So you've finally gotten something new to tell me." The leader's voice was rough and dark, almost like it was made out of darkness. He sat in his chair at the head of the room. He was cloaked in black, his favorite clothing.

"Yes. Yami has become distracted and isn't checking as closely as he normally does. It has been confirmed that he was the one to kill our scout."

"Good… We still need the information he has, so we can't just kill him, as fun as it would be. Sadly, we all know that trying to get information out of Yami is pointless. He's very… uncooperative that way." The leader seemed lost in thought.

"Master, I believe we may have a solution to this problem."

A wide smile spread on the leader's face. "Have you now?"

"We've also discovered that Yami has been keeping a small boy with him. That boy seems to be the cause of Yami's distraction, and Yami seems to be quite fond of him. He's already made him a member of the resistance."

"Hmm… Usually it takes months for him to trust someone enough to make him or her a member of the Main Resistance. This boy… How much does he know?"

"Almost everything, Your Greatness." A sickening smile crossed the leader's face.

"Well then, it looks like we have a new target."

* * *

The next week passed quickly. Yugi wandered the mountains around the house almost every day, enjoying the beauty of it all. Yami had to leave a few times, but when he was there, he would tell Yugi all about their secret operation to stop the evil group Yami had talked about. Yugi was delighted to help and pretty soon Yami made him an official member of the organization.

Now it was the last day of the week. Yugi woke up and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Yugi got out of bed and headed to the kitchen as usual. He walked in and found Yami cooking breakfast. "Morning, Yami." Yugi said tiredly.

"Good morning, Little One." Yami replied with a smile. Yami scraped some scrambled eggs onto two plates, one for him, and one for Yugi. He sat down and Yugi joined him, grabbing an apple on his way. "Did you sleep well last night?" Yami asked as he grabbed a piece of toast he had made earlier.

"Yeah. But, I did have a creepy dream." Yugi replied. Yami froze instantly.

"Really? What was it about?" Yami tried to remain casual but he radiated tension.

"Well…" Yugi was a bit reluctant to tell after seeing Yami's strange reaction. "There… There was this man. He was wearing a cloak so I couldn't see what he looked like… He told me that he was coming and to tell you that there was nothing you could do to stop him. Oh well, it's probably just some crazy dream."

"Dartz…" Yami growled.

"That was Dartz? That was the evil leader you've told me about? How?" Yugi was shocked and suddenly tried to remember all of the details of his dream.

"Unfortunately, yes. He is using Shadow Magic to get inside your dreams." Yami was staring intently at the table.

"Oh! I remember! You were telling me about Shadow Magic. It comes from the Shadow Realm, right?" Yugi said excitedly and Yami nodded. "Can't you use it too? After all, you were once a great Pharaoh."

"Yes. If I had known about this sooner, I could have stopped it. Don't worry, Little One. I'll make sure he won't be able to do it again." Yami suddenly looked up at Yugi and smiled reassuringly. Yugi smiled and nodded. (Smile and nod, boys, smile and nod. (Madagascar) Mwah ha ha I make myself laugh… Okay… concentrate…)

Yami looked deep in thought for a moment. "I should probably tell the rest of the resistance…"

"Wait… I thought you were the only one left?" Yugi cocked his head in a cute way and looked questioningly at Yami.

Yami smiled and answered, "We are the last ones of the Main Resistance. There are many other smaller groups that also resist their organization. I guess you could say our group is rather… well… royalty. Our society makes all the important decisions and we're the most active against them. When we need the other groups, we all come together and fight. Dartz just targeted us because we were the most resistant."

"Oh. That makes sense." Yugi could tell that the extermination of his family and friends in the Main Resistance was still a sore spot. Yugi smiled and turned the conversation to lighter topics.

Yugi spent the rest of the day with Yami as they discussed the other groups in the Resistance. Yami showed Yugi on a map where all of them were and who led them. They deliberated the importance of each and every group as well as strategies they could use involving them. Yami was much better at developing strategies than Yugi was, but Yugi was slowly getting better.

Yami laughed at the once again confused expression Yugi had. "Would you like me to explain it again, Little One?"

"Yes, please." Yugi blushed in embarrassment.

"Tangayasha's group provides most of the important resources the Resistance uses, such as food, water, weapons, and materials. Therefore, he would be better stationed here rather than here." Yami pointed to certain places on the map spread in front of them.

"But shouldn't we put them in the back for protection? Why are they in the middle?"

"Yes, it would be better to put them in the back if it wasn't for that fact that there is a valley right here. If the group were stationed there then they wouldn't have to worry about being attacked from this side, this side, and this side. This way it is more defendable."

"Oh… Now I see. The landscape also affects how we position ourselves." Yugi nodded with understanding. Yami just smiled at his little one.

"Exactly. You're doing very well, Yugi. Soon you will be a master strategist." Yugi blushed at Yami's praise. Yami looked at the clock. "It's almost time. I need to go inform the rest of the Resistance now. I won't be back for dinner so you'll have to make it yourself."

"Of course. I'll be fine, Yami. Have fun!" Yugi smiled happily at Yami as he left.

After Yugi had eaten a quick meal he walked outside of the castle-like headquarters. Yugi smiled to himself as he took in the smell of the fresh forest air. After exploring the land around HQ for a few days now, Yugi was pretty familiar with it.

Yugi wandered down to his favorite place, a beautiful field with a stream running through it. Flowers of all kinds sprouted everywhere and a small waterfall from a rock fed the stream. Big pine trees surrounded the field and wildlife was abundant. Well… except for today.

Everything seemed to have frozen in place. The only sound was the trickling of the stream. No birds called from the trees, no chipmunks chirped down at him. Nothing moved. Yugi began to feel uncomfortable, a feeling he had never experienced in his favorite field. Yugi frowned and walked slowly through the long grass and colorful flowers. He looked around cautiously, scanning the area around him.

There was a sudden movement in the corner of Yugi's eye. He turned to see a masked warrior dressed in black running at him. Yugi gasped in surprise and stepped back out of instinct. Unfortunately, it caused him to trip and fall on his back. Yugi scrambled backwards, away from the quickly approaching figure. In mere seconds, the man was in front of him and he was yanked roughly from the ground.

Yugi was spun around and he felt strong arms around his neck. Yugi struggled, trying to get free, but it was no use. A sweet-smelling cloth was pressed to his face and blackness closed in on him. Yugi's struggling became weaker as he succumbed to the dizzying chemical. Then, there was nothing.


	6. Chapter 6: The Shihai

Yugi woke up in a dark, damp cell. It was not nearly as nice as the cells Yami had. Well, if you can really call a prison cell nice, but it was better than this place. Yugi groaned and felt his head. It hurt a lot and there was a pounding sensation just behind his eyes. Yugi moved a bit, just to make sure he could. Hearing a clinking sound, he investigated.

Yugi found that his right ankle had a thick cuff on it attached to a chain connecting to the cement wall. "Hey! You're finally awake!" A voice cut through the darkness. Yugi froze and looked around desperately for where it was coming from. Once his eyes adjusted, he was able to make out a figure.

The person was tall and very skinny. He would have been intimidating, but he gave off an air of kindness. Yugi could make out blonde hair, dirty from the filthy cell, but he was sure it was blonde. The man also had soft brown eyes.

"Who… Who are you?" Yugi said nervously. He wasn't comfortable being in a dark, cold prison room with a possible criminal.

"The name's Joey. You?" The figure, now known as Joey said.

"I… I'm Yugi. Where are we?"

"Well… We're currently in a cell. Guess ya already know dat though. Ya know about Shihai? (I am very creative! It means domination in Japanese!)"

"Shihai… That's the official name of the evil organization the Resistance is fighting against! Yami told me about it once..." Yugi mumbled.

"Yami? Ya know Yami? The-great-leader-of-ta-Resistance-Yami?"

"Yeah. I was staying with Yami actually." Joey looked shocked at this, and then he smiled warmly.

"Really? You mus' be special or somethin'. He usually doesn't open up ta anyone. He okay?"

"Yeah. He was fine last I checked. He wasn't at HQ when I was taken."

"Shh!" The sudden outburst shocked Yugi. "Don't talk 'bout HQ! They can't know anythin' about it!" Yugi nodded nervously. "Well, anyways. It's good ta know he's safe. The Resistance would be nothin' without him." There was silence for a while before Yugi broke it.

"You never really told me where we are…"

"Right! We're in ta dungeons in Shihai's headquarters." Yugi's eyes widened in fear when Joey said this.

"W-we are? W-why?" Yugi stuttered.

"Well… Ya might not wanna think about that…" Joey looked down.

"They want information, don't they?" Yugi asked tentatively. Joey nodded slowly. Yugi let out a breath then said bravely, "Don't worry. They won't get any information from me. I'll be strong, for Yami."

* * *

Yami walked into headquarters and called out, "Yugi! I'm back!" Yami frowned when there wasn't an answer. He walked to the kitchen and looked inside. It was empty. _Maybe he's sleeping._ Yami thought as he walked down the hall to Yugi's bedroom. He peered in and once again didn't find him. Yami searched the whole building and the grounds surrounding it where he knew Yugi liked to wander.

The last place Yami checked was Yugi's meadow. Yugi had run in and practically dragged him out there to show him the beautiful clearing. Yami had agreed that it was gorgeous, but he had been more interested in the ecstatic look on Yugi's angel-like face.

Yami searched around before spotting a piece of cloth on the ground. Yami ran over and picked it up carefully. He sniffed it cautiously before quickly pulling it away from his face. He knew that smell… It was chloroform. Yami's heart seemed to drop into his stomach and he fell to his knees. _No… No, this can't be happening! How could I let this happen? They have Yugi! _Yami knelt there for a while before rising shakily to his feet. "Don't worry, Yugi. I'll rescue you… somehow." Yami said to nothing in particular.


	7. Chapter 7: The Resistance

Yugi and Joey talked for a while before he fell asleep. It wasn't anything important, really. Joey was mostly just trying to keep his mind off the inevitable. It had been really hard to fall asleep, considering the freezing cold cell, filthy surroundings, hard ground, and chain around his ankle.

Yugi woke up to the sound of the cell door opening. He instantly bolted upright, but regretted it as it made him dizzy. Once his vision cleared, he saw who had entered. Two guards, judging by their uniform, were grinning down at him sickeningly.

"Well, well. He's a pretty one, ain't 'e?" One of the guards said to the other. Yugi hugged his knees to his chest tightly and tried to be as small as possible. He hadn't felt this terrified since he was first kidnapped by Yami.

"Hey! You stay away from him ya dirty little- Oof!" Joey was silenced by a kick to the stomach. Yugi squeaked timidly in protest to his new friend's treatment. Once Joey was taken care of, the guards turned back to him.

"Come on runt, the boss wants ya." The second guards said as he undid Yugi's restraint and pulled him roughly to his feet. Yugi tried to get away, but wasn't nearly strong enough. "Stop strugglin'!" The guard said and seconds later Yugi felt a rough blow to his cheek. Yugi cried out a little and stopped moving, giving in. He figured he would get enough pain later, he didn't need any more right now.

* * *

Yami walked down the hall to the meeting room. He knew that if he were going to infiltrate Shihai's fortress he would need help. Not long after the discovery of Yugi's kidnapping, he had called his most trusted allies to a meeting. That's where Yami was heading now.

Yami walked into the room, pleased to see that everyone had assembled. He walked to the chair at the head of the table, his normal seat. Yami sat down and looked around at the people he had gathered for this mission.

To Yami's right sat a tall male with brown hair, spiked up in front. He had dark eyes and a lean face. The man's name was Tristan Taylor. Tristan was one of Yami's best generals. He had lead many troops into dangerous missions and they had all turned out successful.

To Yami's left sat a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. She was simply known as Tea. Her job was to manage the spies going in and out of the enemies hideouts. If anyone knew how to get in and out of Shihai's headquarters, it was her.

Sitting next to Tea was Bakura, the interrogations expert and an accomplished thief. Bakura has white hair that spikes out in all different directions. He has dark brown eyes and angular features. Bakura has been on many hazardous assignments and so he was experienced with this sort of thing.

Across from Bakura sat Marik Ishtar. Marik had unruly blonde hair and grayish-blue eyes that always held mischief. Marik had the same experience as Bakura, in fact they worked together quite often and were best friends.

Last, but not least, there was Seto Kaiba. He sat a few chairs away from everyone because… Well, he's Kaiba and we're all pretty sure he has social interaction issues. Kaiba has brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He manages all our expenses and supplies, though he is knowledgeable in these sorts of things.

"Welcome, everyone. You're all wondering why you were called here today, yes?" Yami said. Everyone in the meeting nodded their heads in response. "I need help getting into Shihai's headquarters to rescue a dear friend of mine."

Everything was silent for a moment as Yami's words sunk in. "I don't think this is a very wise idea." Kaiba said coldly, staring directly at Yami.

"For once I agree with Kaiba. Many of our comrades have been taken and we haven't taken special measures to rescue _them._" Bakura pointed out.

"I understand that." Yami replied smoothly. "But, I'm not asking for your approval. I'm going with or without you; I simply want your advice on how."

"You can't be serious, Yami. We can't risk the life of our leader for one member!" Tristan said heatedly.

"He's not just _some member_. He's my son! Well... not exactly...But... I... I love him like a son..." Yami started out intense, but got quieter on the final sentences. Everyone was shocked for a moment. After Yami had lost his family and some of his closest friends, he had shut away any loving emotions. Yami had refrained from getting close to anyone for fear that he'd lose them too. Somehow, Yugi had broken through his defenses.

"I agree with Yami." Tea said sternly. She knew how much it would hurt Yami if he lost yet another loved one. Slowly the others nodded.

"If the kid means so much to you, I suppose we'll help." Bakura stated roughly. And so, the planning began.

* * *

Yugi woke up back in the cell. He whimpered softly at the pain coursing through his body. The torture, which mostly consisted of being whipped and beaten, had hurt immensely, but Yugi had dutifully remained silent. He dimly remembered passing out after about two hours of it.

"Hey, Yug. You okay?" Joey asked softly.

"I… I'll be fine." Yugi replied hoarsely. He whimpered again when he tried to move. Eventually he gave up, not wanting to hurt himself more, and just lied there on the cold, hard cement.

"Man, they really did a number on ya, bud." Joey managed to make it over to Yugi and gently touched his shoulder. Yugi flinched away out of instinct. Joey looked at the poor boy sympathetically. "Yugi... I hate ta ask this, but... Did ya tell 'em anythin'?"

"No..." Joey let out a breath of relief at his answer. Yugi started to cry softly and Joey was quick to try to comfort him. "Joey... Do you... Do you think Yami will rescue us?"

"He'll try, Yug... But I don' know if he'll succeed."

"The only thing... that keeps me going... is thinking about Yami. He's the closest thing... I've ever had to family... well... good family, that is. He's like a big brother to me... He's my... best friend." Pain was evident in Yugi's voice and Joey didn't think he could take much more before he'd break.

_Stay strong, Yug. _Joey silently prayed.


	8. Chapter 8: Torment

**Okay, this is just a Yugi chapter. I'm just going over what Yugi's going through at the moment. I don't really want to get him rescued quite yet.**

Yugi woke up to his third day as a prisoner of the Shihai. He whimpered from all the pain. "Joey?" Yugi called out hoarsely. His throat was dry and it hurt from all the screaming he did yesterday.

"I'm here, Yug." Joey said, making his way back over to the injured boy. Yugi managed to sit up and curl into Joey's arms. Joey held him comfortingly while Yugi cried softly.

Yugi eventually calmed down and stopped crying, still in Joey's arms. Yugi's stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since he got here. "Will they ever feed us?" Yugi asked quietly.

Joey chuckled and replied, "If dey didn', I wouldn't be alive. Dey usually bring in food, or whatever it is dat dey give us, every three days. Actually, it's been four days. Dat's strange…"

"I'm sorry." Yugi said softly.

"Why?" Joey asked, confused.

"It's 'cause of me they didn't feed you."

"Yug… you don' know dat. Don' blame yerself. I'm sure dey'll bring some food soon." Joey looked sadly at the broken boy in his arms. "So don' be sorry."

They heard someone opening their door and Yugi pressed closer to Joey, who wrapped his arms protectively around him. A guard came in and smirked at the two.

"Come on, runt, it's time to have some more fun." The guard said as another guard came in behind him and forcefully dragged Yugi away from Joey, unlocked his ankle cuff, and hauled the boy away.

* * *

Joey growled at the guards as they dragged Yugi, barely conscious, inside and locked the restraint on his ankle. Once they were gone, Joey scrambled over to his friend. "Yug? Don' worry, I'm here." Joey said as he gently maneuvered Yugi into his lap where it was more comfortable. Yugi cried out in pain at being moved.

"Joey? Water…" Yugi's voice was weak and hoarse. Joey laid him down gently as he went over the pipe that dripped foul-tasting water into the cell. He filled the cup all the prisoners were given and brought it back to Yugi, putting it gently to his lips. Joey helped him drink it and then put him back on his lap when Yugi was finished.

"Yug? Our secrets remain secret?" Joey asked lightly. Yugi managed to nod and Joey smiled at him. "I can imagine how frustrated dey must be. Ya turned out tougher dan dey bargained for."

Yugi was glad to have Joey there to help him. However, he still couldn't take away the unbearable pain. This torture session had been worse than the first. There had been more whippings and beatings, except they also added a metal rod straight out of the flames. Yugi wondered, not for the first time, why his miserable life only held pain and torment for him.

A while later a guard came in again. Yugi started shaking in fear and clung to Joey as if his life depended on it. The guard simply threw some disgusting, moldy, bread at them and left. Joey collected the food and split it between the two of them. It wasn't much, but it was enough to live on, at least for now. They both choked down the repulsive mouthfuls and drank more water, which didn't help with the taste.

Yugi snuggled into Joey and fell asleep.

* * *

The week passed by the same way. Every day followed the same schedule: wake up in pain, be the victim of even more pain, and go to sleep in pain. Occasionally they were fed, but that was rare. Yugi dutifully refused to give them information, all the while silently praying that Yami would rescue him.

* * *

**So sorry! I know it's short, but I don't want to move on to the rescue until the next chapter, and there's really not much else I can do with Yugi, so I'm just going to end it there. I'll try and have the next chapter up really soon though. Love you all, and thanks for reading!**

**P.S. Some of you were wondering how old Yugi was, so I went back and updated the first chapter so it tells his age. Yugi is ten years old, just in case you missed it.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Rescue Part 1

**I am so so so so so so sorry for not updating sooner! I was procrastinating because I couldn't figure out how to write a stupid rescue scene! GRR! Anyways, it isn't that good, but it shows that he was actually rescued, so there. I hope you enjoy it even if it's LONG overdue and not very good. :) **

* * *

Yami clenched and unclenched his fists for the thousandth time that day. Today was the day. The day they would rescue Yugi. That is… If he was still alive. Two weeks had passed since he had been captured. Yami wanted to rescue Yugi sooner, but they needed to prepare thoroughly to even stand a chance of rescuing him from there.

Currently they were waiting for Bakura and Marik's signal. At this time, they were sneaking in to Shihai's headquarters and clearing a way for everyone else. Kaiba was typing away at his computer trying to hack into the system. Yes, Kaiba is an efficient hacker. The flashing lights of various alarms went out and a nod from Kaiba told them he had succeeded. Yami gave a quick nod back before turning to watch for the signal.

"Man. What's takin' those two so long? Usually they get this done in ten minutes or so." Tristan said, bored.

"Be patient. This is our biggest undertaking yet. Remember, our main goal is to get Yugi, but if we can, we will rescue our other captured comrades." Yami reminded the team. Tea and Tristan nodded, but Kaiba only continued typing at his computer.

Suddenly a light flashed out of the darkness. Once. Twice. Three times. "That's the signal. Let's go! Kaiba, keep tabs on everything and if needs be, shut this place down." Yami said as he ran off into the darkness followed by Tea and Tristan. Yami ducked behind a wall as a guard's flashlight beam passed their way. The guard didn't keep going though. He was getting closer…

Just as the guard passed their wall, Yami leapt out and delivered a quick blow to the man's collarbone. The guard collapsed allowing Yami to quickly finish him off. "Keep moving." Yami commanded, headed towards the place they saw the signal.

Yami crouched behind a vehicle as they got close to the meeting sight. He checked around the corner for any guards before flashing his own light twice. Bakura and Marik seemed to materialize out of thin air and the team quickly regrouped.

"What's our way in?" Yami quickly asked the two.

"We managed to unlock this door. It looks to be used for transporting materials in and out of the building. We investigated the inside and found it to be deserted at this hour, though there is a guard station leading into the actual headquarters. We've taken care of it so it should be safe." Bakura reported. Yami nodded his approval.

"Good. The headquarters is huge, though Tea thinks she knows where the dungeon is. Even if it proves correct, the dungeon is vast as well. Yugi could be anywhere. We'll have to check every cell. I think we should split up into two groups. Tristan and I will take the east side. Tea and Marik, you take the west side. Bakura, your job is to watch our backs. Guard the entrance to the dungeon and make sure no one comes in." Yami quickly assigned positions and they headed in the direction of the dungeon area.

After making it past the guard station that Bakura and Marik cleared, the group stopped. "Kaiba, are there any alarms or guard stations ahead?" Yami spoke through his earbud to Kaiba back at their starting point.

"I've already disabled all the alarms in your way. Power should be out in any guard stations as well. The guards inside are up to you though." Kaiba replied.

"Good. Be on your toes, team." Yami led the group forward. They encountered a few guards on their way, but they were quickly dispatched. Finally, they reached the dungeon. "Alright. This is where we go our different ways. Is everyone ready?" Yami said and everyone nodded in reply. "Go!" The groups headed in different directions while Bakura crouched next to the entrance. They moved quickly, wanting to get out before they were found.

Yami checked cell after cell. Whenever he found one with a comrade in it, he released them and told them to find Bakura. Yami was getting desperate as he opened yet another cell without Yugi in it.

"Calm down, Yami. We'll find him." Tristan said reassuringly. Yami simply nodded and continued to pick the lock on a cell. They continued on, opening cells and occasionally taking out a guard.

After what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, Yami found what he was desperately looking for.

* * *

To Yugi:

Yugi was curled up on Joey's lap weakly crying from the last torture session when the rescue started. The raid wasn't apparent at first, but eventually the guards caught on and there was a big commotion. "What's dat?" Joey asked quietly as they heard the guards rushing about. Yugi slowly sat up as more tears came to his eyes.

"It's Yami." Yugi said with a confident smile. "I know it is. He's come to rescue us."

Suddenly the door of the cell burst open and there stood Yami.

* * *

Back to Yami:

Yami opened the door of the last cell. There he was. His little one was in this dark, damp cell, shackled to the wall by his ankle. Yami gasped as he took in Yugi's condition. Yugi was extremely thin and covered in bruises, burn marks, gashes, and scars. He seemed even paler than usual and extremely weak. Yami's heart throbbed painfully seeing Yugi in such a state.

Yugi sat there looking up at him with tears in his eyes. Yami snapped back to his senses and rushed into the cell. He gathered Yugi in his arms, with tears in his own eyes. Yugi sobbed pitifully into Yami's chest.

"You… You saved me… Y-Yami… Th-Thank you…" Yugi managed to get out between sobs. Yami hated how hoarse and weak he sounded. More than that, Yami hated himself. If it wasn't for him, Yugi wouldn't have gone through this. "Yami… Don't blame yourself." Yugi could tell by his face that he felt guilty over what happened. "If it wasn't for… you… I'd still be… where I was… before… You've saved me… more than once… Yami… Thank you…" Yugi burst into a fresh round of tears.

"Shhh… It's alright Little One. You're safe now. I won't let anything hurt you ever again. I… I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you before… But it won't happen again. I promise." Yami said sincerely. Yugi just clutched onto him tighter.

"See, Yug? I told ya he'd try an' rescue ya." Joey said with a huge smile on his face.

"Joey!" Tristan, who was waiting outside, rushed in to see his friend. "We thought you were a goner!"

"Gee. Thanks." Joey said sarcastically. "Ya gonna get us outta these chains or what?"

"Right." Yami said and began picking the lock on Yugi's shackle while Tristan did Joey's. Once he was free, Yami picked Yugi up and left the cell, followed by Tristan and Joey. "Now we just have to get out of here."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I'm sorry it's still pretty short, but it literally took me all day to write this and I decided it was a good enough place to end it. I really appreciate the encouragement you guys have given me! Feel free to favorite, review, and (or) follow!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Rescue Part 2

Yami rushed back to the entrance with Yugi safely in his arms. Once there he found Bakura, Tea, Marik, and a gathering of rescued allies waiting for him.

"I take it that's him then, huh?" Bakura said nodding towards Yugi. Yami nodded and subconsciously held Yugi closer to him.

"Let's go. Hopefully we can get out without meeting too many people. We aren't prepared for a full-out battle." Yami said as he led the way out of the dungeons. "Kaiba, do you have visual on any threats?"

"Sorry Yami. They're shutting me out. I won't be much help anymore. You know I don't have a chance against their whole group of operators." Kaiba replied bitterly.

"I understand. Be on your guard, everyone!" Yami called back to his men.

"You honestly think that'll do you any good?" Yami froze at the cold voice coming out of the shadow. "Now, now Yami, I applaud you for getting this far, but did you really think you could get out? This is the main fortress after all." A man stepped out of the shadows. He had the kind of build that demanded submission from everyone. He had long, greasy black hair tied back in a low ponytail. His beady red eyes fit perfectly with his cruel face.

"I think you're overestimating the strength of your fortress, Ushio." Yami replied venomously as he set Yugi down and pushed him behind him protectively.

"I don't think so. After all, you are stuck here, at my mercy."

"Oh, I think you are. If it was as mighty as you say it is, we wouldn't have been able to get in, now would we?"

Ushio growled and stepped forward but Yami stood his ground. "That doesn't matter now. None of you will get out of here alive."

"We'll see." Yami replied nonchalantly. Ushio lunged forward but Yami was prepared. A perfect roundhouse kick slammed Ushio into the wall. That didn't keep him down for long though. Ushio was back on his feet just in time to block a deadly blow to his neck.

Ushio launched another attack at Yami but was once again blocked. The fight continued like that, both evenly matched. Every strike was blocked and a counter attack used. The bystanders watched in awe at the ferocity and speed of the fight. Yami's trusted advisors stood back, letting Yami fight on his own, but were ready to step in at any moment.

The battle grew ever more intense, especially on Yami's behalf. Ushio was losing and he knew it. So, he began looking for a way to even the odds. His eyes landed on someone in the room and a crooked smile appeared on his face. He began working on his new plan. Punch, block, step. Punch, block, step. He was slowly getting closer to his target and no one had noticed his intentions.

Yami continued the fight, focusing only on his opponent. He threw another punch, which was blocked, but instead of counter-attacking, Ushio jumped back. In a flash Ushio was standing behind his prey, one arm around his victim's waist, securing him, the other at his neck, a deadly weak spot.

"Yugi…" Yami whispered in horror. He had been too distracted with the fight to notice they had moved close to the child. The others in the room became tense, fearing for the boy.

"I believe this is what you came for, is it not?" Ushio tightened his grip on Yugi's neck.

"Ushio… If you hurt him I swear you will not live to see another day." Yami growled.

"Ha ha ha. You see, Yami, that's the thing. You can't touch me as long as I have him. Take one step and I snap his neck." Yami's glare deepened.

"But if you do that you have no leverage. I could kill you without a second thought."

"I suppose, but I won't get rid of my leverage lightly. I have-" Ushio was cut off as he was hit in the head with enough force to kill a man. He instantly fell to the floor. Joey stood behind him, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"An' dat's for layin' yer filthy hands on my little buddy." He said exuberantly. As soon as Yugi was free, he ran straight into Yami's arms. Yami held him protectively.

"Come on, let's get out of here. I'm sure Dartz won't be happy with the loss of his second-in-command." Yami said as he picked Yugi up and headed towards the place they came in. The rest of the people nodded and followed. They met quite a few guards on the way but with the extra help from the rescued comrades, they made it out.

Soon they were on their way back to headquarters. They were currently in one of the getaway cars. Once they were safe, Yugi had fallen asleep in Yami's arms. Yami was content to just hold him, to know he was safe.

* * *

They made it back to HQ around dawn. Yami got out of the car with Yugi, still sleeping, in his arms. As he went inside, he encountered Ishizu, the Resistance's main doctor.

"Oh, dear. The poor thing." Ishizu said as Yami handed Yugi to her. She instantly took Yugi to one of the medical beds she had set up. Ishizu got to work taking care of Yugi's injuries as the boy slept. Yami sat close by at all times.

"Yami, you're exhausted. You should get some sleep." Ishizu said over her shoulder to Yami as she worked.

"But, Yugi…"

"I'll take good care of him. He'll be fine, I promise. Now get to bed before I force you to with a sleeping drug."

Yami sighed, defeated. He was still afraid of letting Yugi out of his sight, but he knew Ishizu was right. He was safe now. Besides, he wouldn't be much good to the Resistance or Yugi in his condition. Yami got up and walked to a room close to the medical quarters, just in case. In mere seconds Yami was asleep on the bed.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update, once again. Also, sorry it's short... again. Apparently I'm incapable of writing a long chapter, even a major event like this fight scene. *sigh* Sorry. Thanks for reading, my faithful readers!**


	11. Chapter 11: A Friend and an Enemy

Yami slept for five hours before he woke up. Not being able to wait any longer, he made his way down to the makeshift infirmary. Ishizu was already there, still tending to the wounded. She looked dead on her feet. "Ishizu?" Ishizu turned to Yami with a weary smile.

"You should still be in bed. Oh well, I suppose it was long enough."

"How is he?" Yami asked nervously.

Ishizu sighed. "Not good I'm afraid. They did a number on him, but he should make a full recovery. I've done everything I can for him. When he wakes up you should get some food into him. He's extremely malnourished." With that, Ishizu left to tend to other patients. Yami nodded and sat down by Yugi's bed.

He grabbed his little one's small hand in his own. Then he sat for another two hours and eleven minutes. Finally, Yugi's eyes fluttered open. Yami jumped forward in anticipation when he saw him move.

"Yugi?" Yami asked tentatively.

"Y-Yami?" Yugi replied groggily.

"Oh, Yugi… I'm so sorry. It's my fault…" Yami said, a tear falling down his face.

"Yami… It's not your fault. Really. You couldn't have helped me. I shouldn't have left on my own…"

"Yugi..."

"No, Yami. Please don't blame yourself. I'm fine now. You can't change it anyway." Yami stayed silent after that.

"Oh right! You hungry?" Yami asked. Yugi nodded with a small smile, pleased that Yami had quit blaming himself. Yami hurried off the kitchen and came back with a plate of food. He gently placed it on Yugi's lap. Yugi gingerly picked up the fork and took a bite. He hummed in pleasure at the yummy food. Any decent food would taste good after eating prison food.

After about half the plate was gone Yugi stopped eating, his stomach wasn't used to that much food yet. Yugi reached over to set his finished plate on a desk nearby but whimpered from the pain of the action. Yami quickly took the plate away and helped Yugi relax again.

"You ok?" Yami asked, concerned.

"Hurts…" Yugi mumbled with a frown. Yami swiftly retrieved pain medication and helped Yugi take it.

"Take it easy, Yugi. Don't hurt yourself." Yami told Yugi after he was confident the boy was all right. Yugi nodded, his eyelids drooping. Yami smiled reassuringly. "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake." Yugi dozed off in barely a few minutes.

* * *

Two weeks passed like that, Yami rarely leaving Yugi's side. Yugi was healing well and he was able to move around more and more every day. Soon he was almost fully healed.

Yugi pouted cutely as he sat on his bed. "Yami! I'm so bored! Can't we go do something?"

"Yugi, you know you shouldn't move too much. You were hurt pretty badly." Yami replied sternly.

"But Yami! I feel fine!"

"No." It seemed as if the conversation was over, but then Yugi brought out his secret weapon… The puppy dog eyes. Yami didn't stand a chance. He sighed. "Fine… Ishizu did suggest some activity… What do you want to do?"

"Well…" Yugi looked down. "I was wondering if we could go back to my old town…" Yami looked at Yugi, bewildered.

"What?"

"I… I was hoping I could go and see a friend of mine… At least one more time." Yugi said, fiddling with his sheets nervously. Yami relaxed a bit, a sad and understanding expression on his face.

"All right." Yami said gently. Yugi looked up in shock. He had honestly expected Yami to say no. "But you have to promise to take it easy, okay?" Yugi nodded enthusiastically, a look of pure happiness on his face. Yami smiled wearily. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

Yugi skipped along happily, holding tightly onto Yami's hand. He was busy telling Yami all the amazing qualities of the friend he had come to meet.

"Okay, okay. Calm down a bit. Now, where's your friend live?" Yami asked as he attempted to keep the hyper child from injuring himself again. Yugi's face dropped.

"Um…" Yugi looked uncomfortable.

"You don't know where he lives?" Yami asked, astonished.

"Well… I wasn't allowed to go anywhere so I never went to his house." Yugi looked a bit sad. Yami nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's around here somewhere." He didn't like seeing the little one unhappy. Yugi's smile came back in half a second.

"Yeah! Let's go to the park! It always looked like a nice place. Can we go?"

How could Yami say no? So instead, he answered, "Of course."

Five minutes later Yami was sitting on a park bench, a rather secluded one, of course, watching Yugi play. He carefully scanned the area for any danger at the same time as keeping an eye on Yugi to make sure he didn't hurt himself. He was in the middle of scanning the area behind them when his attention was caught by a shout. He turned to see Yugi running towards a little white haired child with gentle brown eyes.

"Ryou!" Yugi shouted happily. The boy, apparently Ryou, spotted Yugi and ran towards him as well.

"Yugi! You're here! Where have you been? I've been so worried about you!" Ryou said in a motherly way. Yami stood and made his way over to the children.

"Oh… Sorry, Ryou. A lot has happened." Yugi looked back and saw Yami, his face instantly lighting up. "Yami! This is Ryou, my friend. Ryou, this is Yami. He's been taking care of me." Ryou looked at Yami cautiously, then he smiled kindly.

"Hi, Mr. Yami."

"Hello." Yami said with a small wave and a big smile. Ryou turned to Yugi.

"What do you mean taking care of you? What happened to your parents?"

"Right… Well… He kinda kidnapped me…" Ryou looked horrified. "But it's okay cause he didn't hurt me and he's much better than my parents!" Yugi said hurriedly so Ryou wouldn't get the wrong idea about his new father figure. Ryou seemed to calm down a bit but still looked at Yami suspiciously.

"What's wrong with your parents?"

"You don't know?" Yami cut in.

"No… Mother and Father said not to tell anyone or else." Yugi told Yami.

"Or else what?" Ryou was beginning to look panicked again.

"I don' know. They never told me, just said 'or else'. I could tell it was bad though. They were probably gonna hurt me really bad… Well… Even worse than normal." Ryou's eyes went wide and tears threatened to spill over.

"Your… Your parents hurt you?" Ryou asked tentatively. Yugi nodded. "I… I thought those injuries were from the bullies…"

"Only some of them… But it's okay now! Yami's taking care of me!" Yugi said happily, trying to comfort his friend. Ryou only nodded.

"Okay…"

"Wanna play?" Yugi asked, though he dragged the little albino boy to the playground without waiting for an answer. Yami smiled, happy Yugi had a friend, someone who made him happy.

* * *

After a long day of fun, Ryou had to go home for dinner. Yami smiled happily as he watched Yugi say goodbye to his friend.

"Yami? Can I come play with Ryou again?" Yugi asked as he looked up at Yami.

"Of course, Little One." Yami replied with a gentle smile. Yugi smiled happily. They were both walking down the street to head back to Yami's car, which was hidden a ways off. Yugi stopped suddenly and hid behind Yami, shaking in fear. Yami instantly stopped, concerned and looked ahead for the approaching danger.

"Well, well. It seems ya have somethin' of mine."

**Yay! Another short chapter! Said no one ever. I'm so sorry for the long wait and the pathetic chapter! I also apologize to the people I scared who thought this story was over! Don't worry, it's not! I still have some things to resolve... well... quite a bit actually. Anyways, I'm sorry I was not able to piece my idea together well and that it took sooooo long! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! (Also, sorry for the cliffie. I'm so evil.) I do hope you at least kind of enjoyed this chapter! I'll try and update soon, though knowing me it might be a while.**


	12. Chapter 12: Father

**_Here you go! Oh and sorry for the wait. The only excuse I have is that I was working on a cosplay for an anime convention. Other than that, I've just been lazy, so feel free to yell at me. Maybe kicking me in the butt a few times will help me write faster..._**

* * *

_Previously on Kidnapped By a Murderer…_

_"Of course, Little One." Yami replied with a gentle smile. Yugi smiled happily. They were both walking down the street to head back to Yami's car, which was hidden a ways off. Yugi stopped suddenly and hid behind Yami, shaking in fear. Yami instantly stopped, concerned and looked ahead for the approaching danger._

_"Well, well. It seems ya have somethin' of mine."_

* * *

"What?" Yami said, thoroughly confused and distracted by the terrified boy behind him.

"I said ya have somethin' of mine. I want 'im back." The man said. He was tall and muscular, also not very pleasant looking. He had long, shoulder length black hair with red tips. His face was contorted into a permanent scowl and his dark purple eyes showed nothing but hatred. To most he would have been threatening, but not to Yami.

"I don't believe I understand." Yami said coldly. The man just ignored him and looked behind him at Yugi who was peeking out slightly from behind Yami's back. Yugi whimpered when the man's gaze fell on him.

"Hello, Yugi. So this is who ya ran off with. Not a smart move, boy."

Yugi cowered behind Yami more, clutching onto Yami's clothes with all he had. Yami took a protective stance and glared at the man.

"I think you should leave." Yami said threateningly.

"And I think ya should give me back my son." Yugi's father replied calmly. Yami's eyes widened in realization, then narrowed.

"Never." Yami barely managed to control the anger in his voice. This time Yugi's father's eyes narrowed and he took a hostile step forward.

"What right do ya have to take my son away?"

"Every right. What kind of person abuses his son?"

Suddenly Yugi's father laughed. "Oh, so that's what this is about. He told ya I abuse him, didn't he? Ya shouldn't listen to him, the li'l liar."

"You're the liar. I was the one who healed his injuries." Yami growled out.

"So that proves that I abuse 'im? Surely he told ya 'bout the bullies. I never hurt him, they did." Yugi's father crossed his arms, pleased with himself.

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Yami said, practically radiating hatred for the person who had hurt his little one.

"Ya have no reason not to." Was the reply.

Yami gestured behind him at Yugi before replying. "That's my reason. No child should ever be that afraid of anyone, especially his own parents."

Yugi's father frowned, then growled at Yami. "Ya best give him back to me, or else ya might get hurt."

"I'd like to see you try." Yami gently pushed Yugi behind him some more so he wouldn't be in the way.

Yugi's father attempted a punch, confident in his ability to beat up the smaller man. In two quick movements, Yami dodged and hit the pressure point on his neck, dropping him to the ground. Yami scoffed as he looked down at Yugi's pathetic excuse for a father then turned to the crying and shaking boy. He gave him a reassuring smile and walked up to him.

Yami picked the small child up and held him close. "It's okay, Little One. You're safe now. They won't ever hurt you again." Yugi clung to Yami like his life depended on it. Yami gently held him as he walked back to their car.

* * *

Yugi was asleep in the back seat by the time they got back to headquarters. Yami smiled as he picked him up and carried him to his room. After taking him to his room he stood there for a while, watching him. He'd promised long ago that he'd never let him get hurt again, and he intended to keep that promise. No matter what.

_**Hehe... Yeah, I know. It's short. Again. It just felt like a good place to end it and I didn't want to put more stuff in it. I'll try and update soon though. Thanks for reading! Feel free to review!**_


	13. Chapter 13: This Means War

'I can't keep doing this. We can't.' Yami sat on his bed, chin in his hands, as he contemplated his problem. His room was dark, the only light coming from the moon shining through his window. The clock read 2:36 yet Yami couldn't even think about sleeping.

'Now that I have a child I can't participate in this war. It's too dangerous… They've already kidnapped him once and I know that they'll try it again.' Yami thought, desperately trying to figure something out. 'If anything happened to Yugi… I could never forgive myself. But what can I do? I can't leave the resistance to fight on their own without guidance and I certainly can't just leave the Shihai to their world domination… Maybe… No, that wouldn't work either.' Yami growled, angry with himself for his inability to solve the problem. Then it dawned on him…

"I have to end this, for good. This means war." Yami said aloud, a determined expression on his face.

* * *

Yugi stood frozen outside Yami's room. Did he hear right? Was Yami really gonna start a war? Yugi had simply come seeking comfort from a nightmare, but now he had much bigger problems. He knew the Shihai had to be stopped… and deep down he knew it would eventually lead to this, but it didn't stop the terror he felt.

Endless 'what ifs' raced through Yugi's mind such as 'What if Yami gets hurt?' or even 'What if Yami dies?' In the fairly short time he had known Yami, Yugi had come to think of him as a father. A good father, not the kind he was used to. One who would love him, take care of him, and comfort him when he felt bad. And now that he had one… he didn't want to give him up. Yugi loved Yami with all his heart and he couldn't even fathom what life would be like without him.

Besides, there was always the terrifying thought of what would become of him if he didn't have Yami to take care of him. Would he have to go back to his 'family'? Yugi started to hyperventilate at the mere thought.

"Yugi?" Yami's gentle voice broke through his thoughts and Yugi looked up at Yami with teary eyes. Yami bent down next to him, concern filling his face. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" Not being able to talk, Yugi just threw himself into Yami's arms. "Little one…" Yami mumbled sadly. It was heartbreaking seeing him so upset.

Finally able to find his voice, Yugi said, "Are you really going to war?" His voice was weak and slightly hoarse. Yami sighed.

"I'm afraid so. It's the only way. I can't risk you getting hurt again so I have to end this now." Yami explained gently, holding the crying boy close.

"But… But I don't want you to get hurt either! What if something happens to you?" Yugi managed to say through his tears. He pulled back slightly to see Yami's face.

"I know, I know… I don't want that either, trust me, but there's no other way."

"Can't you just leave?"

"No, Little One. You know I can't just leave the resistance without anyone to guide them. It wouldn't be fair and could potentially be devastating. Besides… even if I left they'd probably still track me down." Yami was trying his best not to cry.

"But…"

"Please understand, Yugi. This whole fight has gone on long enough. It needs to end. I want to be able to be there for you without having to worry about someone stabbing me in the back. Or worse… going after you." Yami ran a hand through Yugi's hair, attempting to calm him down. Yugi's sobs turned into sniffles as he watched him. Yugi understood, he just didn't like it.

"Okay… But you have to promise to be careful! Promise?" Yugi said with a stern face. Yami chuckled slightly.

"Promise." Yugi hugged him again tightly. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Yami finally spoke up. "Now what is it you came over here for?" Yami pulled away slightly to look at Yugi.

"Um… Well… I… I had a nightmare…" Yugi blushed in embarrassment. He was also slightly scared… If he had dared come to his 'father' for something as silly as a nightmare, he would have been beaten to a pulp… But Yami was different, wasn't he?

Yami looked at him sadly. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly.

"I was… Father had… He was mad and…" Yugi couldn't seem to get a proper sentence out as the tears started again, memories flashing through his mind.

"Shhh…" Yami hushed him, pulling him into another hug and rubbing his back soothingly. "It's okay. He won't hurt you ever again. I'll make sure of that." Yami just whispered comforting words to him until Yugi's crying slowed down. "Tell you what, how about you come sleep with me for the night, hm?"

Yugi pulled back, rubbing his eyes. "You wouldn't mind?" He asked cautiously.

"Of course not. Whenever you're scared you can always come to me, okay?" Yugi nodded. Yami picked him up and carried him into his room, laying him down on the bed. Yami climbed in on the other side and held his arms open invitingly. Yugi gratefully snuggled into Yami's warm and safe arms, falling asleep almost instantly. Yami smiled down at him and kissed his forehead softly. "Good night, Yugi." He said before joining him in sleep.

* * *

**Aw! Father/son fluff! Yeah, this was kinda a filler chapter... And it's short... And it's way overdue... I don't even know when the last time I updated was. Hopefully it'll get better though cause I've made a goal to write fifteen minutes every day. If that doesn't work... Sorry... Anyways, if you guys are even still reading this, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review on your way out!**


	14. Chapter 14: Preparations

**Okay, another shortish chapter, but at least I updated pretty soon, right? Anyways, mostly filler, again, but a lot of father/son fluff. Enjoy, and please leave a review, I love reading them!**

* * *

Yugi woke up warm and safe in Yami's arms. He smiled up at his 'father' and snuggled closer. Yugi's smile soon disappeared, however, when he remembered the events of last night. Yami was going into war…

Yugi knew it was for the best. It had to be done… but that didn't mean he liked it. He still worried immensely and he wished Yami didn't have to go. As Yugi lay in Yami's arms, he thought about how the war would turn out. The Shihai had a lot more people, but our side had heart. Plus, he figured they could take out at least three or four, each.

After a while Yami woke up and looked down at Yugi, yawning. "G'morning Yugi." Yami said tiredly. Yugi smiled up at him.

"Morning daddy." Yugi replied. Both froze on the spot in shock. Yugi began to tremble slightly and quickly looked down. "I… I'm sorry…" Yugi's voice was soft and weak. "I didn't mean…"

"Shh, Little One. It's all right, I was just surprised since no one's ever called me that. I have no problem with you calling me your dad." Yami said soothingly, stroking Yugi's hair gently. "In fact, I'd be honored." Yami smiled down at Yugi who hesitantly smiled back.

"Thank you. For everything." Yugi mumbled, burying his face in Yami's chest.

Yami held him close and replied, "You don't have to thank me for anything, Little One. You deserve much better than me, but I'm glad you're happy. You are happy, aren't you?"

Yugi nodded really fast. "Of course! I'm the happiest I've been in my whole life!"

Yami just smiled. "I'm glad. Having you here has made my life so much better. I really should be thanking you."

Yugi just shook his head with a smile. "Nope."

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast." Yami sat up, bringing Yugi with him.

"'Kay." Yugi agreed and got up. He followed Yami to the kitchen where they made some toast with jam and a couple sausages.

"So… what are you going to do today?" Yugi asked, though he kept his gaze on his food.

"Well, I need to get everyone together again. Then we'll talk about the war. It'll probably be at least a week or so before we can actually start the fighting." Yami replied, looking thoughtful.

"Okay…"

Yami sighed. "Yugi…"

"It's okay… really. I understand." Yugi said looking up with big, honest eyes.

"Everything's going to turn out okay, you'll see." Yami reassured with a smile. Yugi just nodded with a smile of his own.

After breakfast, Yami went to talk to the rest of the Resistance. Yugi was left on his own. Apparently, a war counsel was no place for a child. Most of the day Yugi watched TV (which, surprisingly, Yami had) a privilege he had never had before. His previous 'family' had locked him in a basement most of the time.

Yugi giggled at a funny part of the show and he heard a soft laugh behind him. He turned to see Yami in the doorway, watching him. Yugi jumped up and ran to him, throwing his arms around Yami in a hug.

"Daddy! You're back! I missed you." Yugi said excitedly.

"I missed you too… son." Yami hesitated on the last word, not used to it and not sure if Yugi would appreciate it. Yugi beamed up at him and dragged him off to the kitchen.

"I'm gonna make dinner, tonight, kay?" Yugi said, depositing Yami on one of the chairs. Yami chuckled.

"All right then, just don't hurt yourself." Yami replied, watching Yugi carefully. Yugi ended up only burning some of the chicken and mashed the potatoes fairly well. Like any child, he conveniently forgot about any vegetables. Yami just smiled, thanking Yugi for making the meal and the two dug in.

"How was the meeting?" Yugi asked after a little while.

"It was good. Luckily, we all agreed we should go to war. Otherwise it could have been ugly. Marik and Bakura can sure argue up a storm and don't even get me started on Kaiba." Yami chuckled slightly. Yugi smiled.

"So when is the war taking place?" Yugi asked, head cocked to the side.

"We're sending out the challenge to the Shihai in two days. Both sides will have a couple days to get their troops in position, then it begins." Yami took a bite of mashed potatoes.

"Oh. Where is going to be? The civilians don't even know we exist and it's pretty populated. I don't think they'd take well to a war in their city. The government would probably get involved."

"Yes, that's why we've told the Shihai to meet us at the rock fields. They know where it is, if not, we sent a map." Yami smiled. "The terrain is mostly rock and grass, with some steep places, but we could use those to our advantage. Plus, not many people know of it, so civilian interaction is unlikely."

Yugi nodded, then smiled. "You speak so formally when you talk about war."

Yami chuckled. "I suppose I… I guess I do. I think I got it from my dad or something. Maybe it's just what leaders talk like."

Yugi looked down for a bit. "Did you like your dad?" Yami smiled fondly.

"Yes. I loved him very much. He taught me everything I know. He was always there for me, and he made sure I was protected, like any… good father."

Yugi half-smiled at that. "What about your mother?"

Yami frowned slightly. "I don't remember her very much. She died when I was seven. Well, she was killed. I remember she was very pretty, and so very kind. She used to tuck me in every night and tell me stories of my father, pretending he was a knight." Yami laughed. "For the longest time I actually believed he was."

Yugi laughed as well. "They sound like amazing parents. Any siblings?"

"Nah, I was an only child." There was a pause in their conversation as they ate some more. Yugi put down his fork, full.

"Yami?" Yugi asked and Yami looked up. "I'm kind of glad my parents were so horrible. Cause if they weren't, I never would have met you. You're the best dad any kid could ask for." Yugi smiled brightly at him. Yami sat, stunned, for a minute. He'd never even imagined himself as a father, what with the Shihai and everything, let alone a good one.

"Thank you, Yugi. And here I thought I was a failure of a father."

Yugi shook his head quickly. "Nope. But… I wouldn't mind if you stayed home from the war…" Yugi started sneakily. Yami gave him a look. "I know, I know. You have to. Just remember that you promised to be careful."

"I always am. I couldn't very well leave my son without the best father ever." Yami smirked at him, lightening the mood.

Yugi laughed. "Don't you dare."

Yami laughed as well. "Come on, lets clean up, then we'll get you to bed." Yugi nodded and helped Yami clean up dinner.

After that, both headed to their rooms and got ready for bed. Yami was sitting on his bed in his room when Yugi came in, clutching a blanket.

"Can… Can I… Sleep with you?" Yugi asked tentatively.

Yami smiled gently at him. "Of course, Little One." He patted the bed beside him and Yugi climbed up next to him. Yami got under the sheets and held his arms open for Yugi who happily crawled inside. Yugi snuggled close and Yami wrapped his arms around him almost protectively.

"G'night, Yami." Yugi said sleepily as he drifted off.

"Good night, Yugi." Yami replied, also falling asleep.


	15. Chapter 15: The Time for Goodbyes

**Enjoy the new chapter! Also, I need a few ideas on how the war should go. I'm not experienced in this kind of thing so what do you guys think should happen? I'd love to hear ideas. Please leave a review on your way out!**

* * *

The next morning Yami and Yugi got up. Yami made Yugi's favorite breakfast and then they spent the day together. Both were trying to spend as much time as they could together… just in case. Currently they were sitting on the couch watching TV. Yami was showing Yugi all the shows he liked as a child.

"Dad?" Yugi asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Yugi?" Yami said, turning to face him.

"So uh… I was thinking…" Yugi started. Yami motioned for him to go on. "Am I going with you? I mean, where will I go when the war… you know…" Yugi looked down, fiddling with his fingers. Yami thought about it for a moment.

"You're definitely not coming with me. But… I'm not sure here is very safe either. Especially after the last time." Yami pondered on it for a little while. "What about your friend, Ryou? Is he busy?"

Yugi's face lit up at the mention of his friend. "I could ask! He'll probably say yes!"

"He probably will, but I have to talk to his parents as well."

"Oh, they'll probably say yes too."

"We'll see." Yami smiled. "We can go tomorrow. Okay?" Yugi nodded enthusiastically. The rest of the night passed with laughter and love. That night, Yugi managed to make it through the night in his own room without nightmares.

The next morning Yugi got up. Remembering the plans for today, he jumped up excitedly and ran to Yami's room. "Yami! Yami wake up!" Yugi said loudly, jumping on his bed. Yami groaned and looked at Yugi tiredly.

"What's wrong?" Yami asked sleepily.

"Nothing. You promised we'd go to Ryou's house today!" Yugi reminded with a big smile on his face.

"Oh yeah. I didn't know we were leaving so early though." Yami chuckled and got up to get ready. Yugi ran to his room to get dressed as well. "Before we go we have to pack your stuff though." Yami said, walking out of his room. Yugi stopped bouncing excitedly and cocked his head.

"What?" Yugi asked, confused.

"If you're staying at Ryou's house, you're going to need your stuff."

"But the war is a whole week away! I thought I was staying with you." Yugi started to look sad.

"I know, but you'd be much happier there. I'll be spending this whole week preparing. We won't be able to spend much time together anyway." Yami reasoned, not liking seeing his little one sad.

"But…"

"Yugi… I want to spend time with you too, but you know I can't. I've got to make sure everything's ready. If we're not prepared the war will not go well for us." Yami bent down to be eye level with Yugi. "You understand?" Yugi nodded and hugged Yami. Yami hugged him back before picking him up and carrying him to the kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Yami asked. Yugi just pouted.

"I thought we were going to Ryou's?" Yugi crossed his arms. Yami laughed.

"You have to eat first. Besides, I just told you we had to pack."

Yugi continued to pout until he smelt the wonderful aroma of Yami's cooking. "What'cha makin?" Yugi asked, coming to stand by Yami.

"Bacon and eggs. A classic." Yami replied, not taking his gaze away from the pans on the stove.

"Can I help?" Yugi asked after a while.

"You can make some orange juice." Yami replied turning to smile at Yugi. Yugi nodded enthusiastically and ran to the fridge. Both finished their respective tasks and breakfast began. They ate silently, Yami looking deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Yugi asked, studying him curiously.

"All the things I need to pack for you." Yami replied after finishing his bite of eggs.

"I don't need a lot." Yugi pointed out.

"That depends on how long you're staying. I don't know how long I'll have to be gone." Yugi noticed that Yami tried to avoid using the word 'war'.

"Just pack all my clothes and my toothbrush and my brush and I'll be good. I can wash them if I have to." Yugi said. Yami thought about it, trying to think of anything else that Yugi needed.

"I suppose that would do. I figure Ryou has anything else that you need." Yami answered. Yugi nodded.

"Come on! Let's get started!" Yugi said eagerly. Yami chuckled at Yugi's impatience.

"Okay. I'll clean up breakfast and you start packing. I got out some suitcases and duffle bags last night." Yami said as he picked up their dishes. Yugi nodded and ran off to his room.

An hour later, Yugi was packed and ready to go. Soon enough they were in the car heading to the park. Yugi still didn't know where Ryou lived… They just hoped he'd be there. "Wait Yami!" Yugi said suddenly causing Yami to jump.

"What is it, Little One?" Yami briefly glanced over at him.

"Today's a school day!"

"And?" Yami prompted.

"Ryou and I went to the same school! He should be there!" Yugi said ecstatically.

"At least we know where we can find him now. When does school get out?" Yami asked.

"Uh… About an hour." Yugi looked at the clock. It had taken him longer than he thought to get down here.

"So we've got some time to waste." Yami said with a smile.

"Yup." Yugi replied. "But what do we do?" They both thought on it for a few minutes. Yami looked around before pulling into the parking lot of an ice cream store.

"How about some ice cream?" Yami asked with a smile as he watched Yugi's face light up.

"Really?" Yugi asked almost disbelievingly.

"Of course." Yami replied getting out of the car. Yugi followed soon after and practically skipped into the store. They looked at the choices for a minute, deciding what to get. Yami chose a banana split and Yugi got a chocolate and caramel sundae.

Yami watched Yugi as he took his first bite. The look of pure happiness on the boy's face was priceless. The two ate their ice cream happily as they talked about pointless things such as the strange way people acted as they walked by. Soon enough it was time to head to the school to find Ryou.

On their way there, Yugi was bouncing in his seat, excited to see his friend again. They arrived a few minutes before school ended so they sat on one of the benches outside the front doors to wait. The bell rang and students came pouring out. Yugi stood up to have a better view so he didn't miss Ryou.

Ryou walked out of school, exhausted from the day. His mood changed drastically when he spotted Yugi standing by a bench. Ryou ran over and practically pounced on Yugi. "Yugi! What are you doing here? I thought you didn't go to school anymore." Ryou said after releasing his friend.

"I don't. I came to see you." Yugi replied, smiling.

"My mum is waiting over there." Ryou pointed towards the parking lot. "We could go to my house if you want."

"That's actually what we came here to talk to you about." Yami said, coming up beside Yugi. Ryou looked up at him, confused.

"You see… I kinda need a place to stay while Yami is… gone." Yugi said, fiddling with his hands.

"Oh!" Ryou looked surprised, then happy. "I'm sure you can stay with me! My mum loves you!" Ryou said excitedly.

"We still need to ask her though." Yami reminded gently. It was a lot to ask of someone to watch your kid for a few days, let alone the months, or even years, it might take to win a war. Ryou nodded and led the way to his mom's car.

"Hey mum!" Ryou greeted as he hugged her. She had been standing by the car as she waited for him.

"Hey sweetie." Ryou's mom replied, hugging him back before turning to Yugi and Yami. "Hello Yugi, it's been a while since I've seen you." Yugi nodded. "Who's this?" Ryou's mom motioned to Yami.

"My name is Yami Sennen. It's a pleasure to meet you." Yami held out his hand and she shook it.

"Sarah Bakura. It's nice to meet you too." She replied, smiling at him. "Are you Yugi's father? I've never seen you at any of the parent and child activities." Yami looked down at Yugi, hesitating. At Yugi's bright smile, he turned back to her, hesitation forgotten.

"Yes, I am. I've been really busy so I haven't been able to attend." Sarah nodded.

"I understand. So what can I do for you two?" She asked politely. Yami scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"You see… I've got to go away for a while. I can't really bring Yugi with me so I was wondering…" Yami trailed off slightly. This was harder than he thought.

"If he could stay with us?" Sarah supplied with a smile. "That would be fine. We'd love to have Yugi stay with us." Sarah smiled down at Yugi then looked back up Yami. "How long does he need to stay for?"

"Uh… Well that's the thing. I don't really know. It may be quite a while." Yami said nervously.

"Long business trip?" Sarah asked sympathetically. Yami nodded and she just smiled. "That's all right. Yugi's a great kid, he won't be any trouble. Besides, Ryou was getting pretty lonely."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Bakura. I can pay you for your…"

"No, no. Really, it's no trouble. You don't need to pay me." Sarah cut him off. Yami smiled gratefully.

"Thank you again. I guess I'll go get Yugi's stuff from the car." Sarah nodded and Yami walked back to the car to get Yugi's bags.

"Thank you Mrs. Bakura!" Yugi chirped excitedly next to Ryou. Both were ecstatic at this new arrangement. Sarah nodded with a smile.

"You're welcome, dear." She said while opening the car door for Ryou and Yugi to get in. Ryou got in while Yugi waited for Yami. Yami soon returned with Yugi's stuff and helped put it in the trunk. He turned to Yugi and almost fell over as the child launched at him. Yami kneeled down to hug Yugi better and fought back tears. Yugi wasn't as strong and tears ran freely down his face.

"I'm gonna miss you." Yugi mumbled into Yami's chest.

"And I you, Little One." Yami replied.

"Remember to keep your promise. You have to come back." Yugi pulled away slightly to stare Yami in the eyes.

"I wouldn't dream of breaking it. I'll come back for you, Yugi, don't you worry." Yami wiped some of Yugi's tears away with his thumb. Yugi hugged Yami again before finally pulling away.

"Bye, Dad." Yugi said, another tear running down his cheek.

"Goodbye, son." Yami said with a sad smile. Yami watched as Yugi got in the car. They waved to each other for as long as they could, but eventually the car faded and Yami was left alone.


	16. Chapter 16: Put On Your War Paint

**Alrighty then. Since I'm so bad at writing wars and stuff, I decided to try to spice it up a bit by making a songfic chapter. The song is "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy. No, I don't own it. Also, I want to know what you guys want to happen. I realize that the way I wrote the last chapter made it sound as if Yami was not actually coming back from the war... I promise, I have absolutely no intention of killing Yami off. Although, I figure something should happen, so what do you think? What do you want the result to be (keep in mind they have to win)? Will Yami remain unharmed, will something tragic happen, perhaps someone (not Yami) will die? Just review or pm me. Hope you enjoy this chapter! (I'm actually pretty proud of it.)  
**

* * *

_Put on your war paint_

Yami stood tensely, watching the computer screen in the control room. The 'control room' was basically a tent on their side of the battlefield filled with computers and maps. Currently, Kaiba was tracking the bombs the Shihai had brought in yesterday. Thanks to Tea, they were aware of the bombs now, not later on the field.

_You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down  
Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground  
We are the jack-o-lanterns in July  
Setting fire to the sky  
Here comes this rising tide  
So come on_

"Any idea when they'll plan to use them?" Yami asked, turning slightly to look at Tea.

"All I got was that the bombs were transported into their camp two mornings ago." Tea replied with a shrug. Yami rubbed his temple, thinking.

"They'll want to strike at our strongest attack center. The question is, which one?" Yami smiled slightly at that.

_Put on your war paint  
_

We were winning. That much was obvious. Every soldier we had took out five of theirs. They may have had more numbers, but we had heart. I guess having Marik and Bakura also helped. The two maniacs had managed to set off a few good explosions. Nine in enemy territory. Another two on our own turf.

_Cross walks and crossed hearts and hope-to-dies_  
_Silver clouds with grey linings_

Turning to look at some maps, Yami pinpointed the most likely places the Shihai would bomb. So far, there were five candidates. Well, five not including the control center. Now how to protect them…

_So we can take the world back from a heart-attack_  
_One maniac at a time we will take it back_  
_You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start_  
_So dance along to the beat of your heart_

Then, an idea came to mind. Yami smirked. He knew exactly what to do. "Get me Bakura and Marik." Yami ordered sharply to no one in particular.

_Hey young blood  
Doesn't it feel like our time is running out?  
I'm gonna change you like a remix  
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

"What do you want, Yami?" Bakura muttered, coming in a few minutes later. "We were busy." Marik walked in behind Bakura.

"I'm sure you were." Yami commented, rolling his eyes. "I have a job for you." Bakura and Marik looked at each other, suddenly grinning wildly.

"I like the sound of that." Marik said, sounding positively insane. Perfect.

_Wearing our vintage misery  
No, I think it looked a little better on me  
I'm gonna change you like a remix  
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

Yami sat in the control room as Marik counted down. _3, 2, 1. _The ground shook as a massive explosion occurred. Marik and Bakura cheered and high-fived each other. "Best one yet!" Marik yelled.

"Yes, yes, good job. Go do something else useful." Yami ordered, though he was secretly pleased. Mission complete. Why let them bomb us when we could bomb their bombs?

_Bring home the boys and scrap scrap metal the tanks_  
_Get hitched and make a career out of robbing banks_  
_Because the world is just a teller and we are wearing black masks_  
_"You broke our spirit," says the note we pass_

"How is Tea doing?" Yami asked, turning to Kaiba who was typing away at a computer.

"She's successfully inside. No information so far." Kaiba replied. Yami nodded then turned towards the entrance as Joey and Tristan walked in.

"Yo, Yams. Any news?" Joey asked, plopping himself down in a chair.

"Besides the explosion?" Tristan added in.

"No. Nothing, really." Yami shrugged. "Reports?"

"Troop moral is high and they are fighting to their best abilities." Tristan told him.

"Yeah, an' we're kickin' butt!" Joey yelled excitedly with a fist pump.

"Don't get cocky. It's not over yet." Yami warned, crushing Joey's spirit. Luckily, the general bounced back fast.

_So we can take the world back from a heart-attack  
One maniac at a time we will take it back  
You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start  
So dance along to the beat of your heart_

One by one, all of Yami's generals gave reports, all mostly the same. Some legions were struggling more than others, so Yami sent them reinforcements. There also seemed to be a slight food shortage. Everyone in camp blamed Joey.

It's a good thing the Resistance's supplies faction was sending more. Yami looked up from his papers as Tea walked in.

"News?" Yami asked simply.

_Hey young blood_  
_Doesn't it feel like our time is running out?_  
_I'm gonna change you like a remix_  
_Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

"I hear news of some 'new weapon' but I was forced to retreat before I could find out more." Tea replied seriously. Yami nodded. He expected something like this…

"Try to find out more if you can, but stay safe. Don't risk your life over this." Yami ordered to which she nodded and left. Now, what kind of weapon would Dartz have?

_Wearing our vintage misery  
No, I think it looked a little better on me  
I'm gonna change you like a remix  
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

Yami studied the enemy's camp layout from atop his perch in a dead tree. There wasn't much that was alive in this area. If they could just get into that tent… Tea had quickly pinpointed the tent they were most likely keeping their new weapon in. Unfortunately, they had lost a few spies trying to get inside.

Giving up that tactic, Yami had decided to instead sit and speculate. By how large the tent was, it was big. Whatever it was could change the game entirely. He figured it was some kind of bomb, but he couldn't be sure. They had plenty of bombs, why was this one special? It couldn't be that big or else they would take out their own as well with the detonation. Nuke was not an option.

Then again, it was the Shihai. They weren't exactly the best people.

_Put on your war paint_

Sitting in that tree, Yami's thoughts wandered to Yugi. It had been about a month and a half since he had last seen his adopted son. How was he? Was he safe? Yami guessed he was, considering the Shihai hadn't already used Yugi against him. But he couldn't help but worry.

Yami couldn't help but smile as he thought of Yugi. A round of gunfire brought him back to reality. Now was not the time for this. Yami had to focus on the war or else they would never win. Yami shook his head to clear his mind.

_The war is won_  
_Before it's begun_  
_Release the doves_  
_Surrender love (x4)_

Yami returned to the tent to plan. Meeting with a few spies and counselors they discussed possible ways to beat this 'new weapon' whatever it may be. It proved very difficult, not knowing what it was and all.

"Hey, Yami." Bakura walked into the tent as he addressed his leader.

"Yes, Bakura?" Yami asked, not taking his eyes away from his maps.

"We need to find out about that weapon, yes?" Bakura questioned, crossing his arms.

"That would definitely help." Yami replied, glancing up at him.

"You could send a raid out. We could destroy it, maybe even steal it. I suggest…"

"No." Yami cut him off. "I'm not risking anymore men."

_Hey young blood_  
_Doesn't it feel like our time is running out?_  
_I'm gonna change you like a remix_  
_Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

"Yami." Bakura started sternly. "If we don't take away their weapon, you _will_ lose more men. A lot more." Bakura had a point…

"Fine, but I'm coming." Yami agreed after some thought.

"Oh no you aren't." Marik said as he walked in. "It's much too dangerous for you." Yami glared.

"I'm just as capable of handling myself as you two, if not more." Yami stated dangerously.

"I'm not talking about your capabilities." Marik continued calmly. "You have a lot more to lose than just your life, Yami."

_Wearing our vintage misery  
No, I think it looked a little better on me  
I'm gonna change you like a remix  
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

Yami blinked. '_Remember to keep your promise. You have to come back'._ Yugi's pleading voice came into his mind. They were right. He couldn't die here. He'd promised to be careful, hadn't he? This plan was definitely not being careful. Yami sighed. "You're right. But keep on guard. If you don't come back, I'll kick your butt." Yami said with a smirk, though somewhat serious.

"Sure. Like you could." Bakura snorted while Marik laughed. Both left, probably to get their raid party together.

_Hey young blood_  
_Doesn't it feel like our time is running out?_  
_I'm gonna change you like a remix_  
_Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

Yami returned to his maps, but his thoughts were far from war strategies. He had dedicated his whole life to this ongoing war. For the longest time, he had been perfectly willing to die for the cause. But not now. Now he had a reason to live.

Yami's eyes narrowed in determination. He had a war to win.

_Put on your war paint_


	17. Chapter 17: I Need You

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! I have no excuse… But I apologize deeply. This chapter is in Yugi's point of view and what he's going through while Yami's gone. I also am using an idea given to me by TheSpiritofThePuzzle, so I thank him/her deeply. Thank you to all the wonderful readers who have given me ideas! Anyways, please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Three months.

Yugi sighed as he stared out of the window, watching the lone raindrops drip down. Three months had passed since Yami had left to fight the war. Yugi missed him terribly and he worried about him every day, but he knew that it was necessary.

"Yugi?" A timid voice came from the doorway. Yugi turned to see Ryou hesitating in the doorway of their shared room. Yugi forced a smile. It was slowly getting harder every day to do so, but he was managing. He couldn't let this get to him for his best friend's sake.

"Yeah?" Yugi asked softly.

"Mum says it's time for dinner." Ryou answered with a small smile of his own. Yugi nodded and followed him downstairs.

As they made their way into the dining room, they were greeted by a woman with long white hair. "Good evening, Yugi." She said with a soft smile.

"Good evening, Mrs. Bakura." Yugi replied, trying to force happiness into his voice. Noticing the worried look on Sarah Bakura's face, Yugi guessed that he had failed miserably.

Yugi avoided her gaze as he sat down at the table. The chicken, rice, and green beans on his plate were cooked well, but Yugi couldn't find it in himself to be hungry. Still, he managed to force a few bites of the food down.

"So how was your day today, Yugi?" Mrs. Bakura asked, trying to make conversation.

"It was good, I guess. How about yours?" Yugi said though he didn't look up from his plate.

"It was lovely, thank you for asking." Mrs. Bakura stated with a smile. "What about you, Ryou? How was your day?"

"It was really great! I learned a lot at school and at recess Yugi and I played freeze tag!" Ryou said happily. Unfortunately, Yugi had been forced to go back to school while staying with Ryou due to Ryou's mother not knowing about the whole kidnapping-not-going-to-school thing. The teachers had been quite confused as to his lack of attendance, but he was able to convince them he was very sick during that time.

"That's nice, Ryou. What'd you learn?" Sarah asked, happy with the change in mood brought by Ryou. Yugi blocked out their conversation after a while. The rest of dinner was spent with mother and son talking and Yugi pushing food around his plate. Finally, they cleaned up and got ready for bed.

Lying in his makeshift bed, Yugi stared out of Ryou's window at the stars. Once again his thoughts were interrupted by Ryou's soft British accent. "Yugi?"

"Yeah?" Yugi answered after a moment.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Yugi heard the rustling of sheets as Ryou sat up to look in his direction.

"No. You're not. You're never happy, and don't try to lie to me. I know you too well, Yugi, your fake smiles and laughter aren't fooling me. Please, tell me what's wrong?" Ryou pleaded desperately, his face painted with sadness and worry. Yugi looked away, not being able to handle the stare he was giving him. "You miss Yami, don't you?" Ryou finally said knowingly, after a few moments of silence.

"Yes." Yugi replied quietly. "He's…he's doing something really dangerous right now… I don't know if he'll come back…" Yugi couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a broken sob. "I don't know if I'll ever see him again…"

Ryou climbed out of bed and came to Yugi's side. He wrapped his arms around his crying friend and held him for a while.

"Don't worry. Yami will come back. He loves you too much not too. Just by looking at him, I can see how much he loves you… He'll come back, Yugi, you'll see," Ryou said quietly after Yugi's sobs had died down a bit. Yugi just nodded and wiped at his eyes.

"Thanks Ryou. I'm sorry for worrying you." Yugi stated.

"No problem, Yug. I'm your friend, it's my job." Ryou looked down at him with a big smile. Yugi smiled weakly back. "Let's get back to bed, Yugi. We have school tomorrow." Yugi nodded and both boys settled in for bed.

The next morning the boys got up, got ready for school, and ate breakfast. Sarah drove them to Hikari Elementary School. Yugi drug his feet as he entered the building.

The school day passed in a blur, at least to Yugi. He was never exactly perfect at school, though he got pretty good grades. Then again, the consequences at the time if they weren't good enough convinced him to try his best. Now with absolutely no motivation whatsoever to continue school other than to get it over with, Yugi was barely trying.

Yugi hurried out of the crowded school building. Being around people other than Yami was still a little terrifying. Especially when so many of them surrounded you from all sides.

Finding a somewhat secluded bench outside of the school, Yugi sat down to wait for Ryou to join him. He was so buried in his thoughts Yugi didn't notice the shadow creeping up behind him. "Mph!" Too late, large hands yanked him off the bench and spun him around. Yugi was about to scream for help when he saw his attacker's face.

"F-Father?" Yugi stammered out in a squeaky, terrified voice.

The man holding the boy smirked cruelly.

"Come now, Yugi. We're going home, and let me tell you, you've been a very bad boy." He grabbed Yugi's thin wrist and pulled him along. Yugi fought to escape, but he was far from being strong enough. Remembering his voice, Yugi called out to anyone who would listen, begging for help. Yugi's father, Boryoku Moto, quickly muffled the boy's cries with a large hand.

"Shut up or you'll regret it." Boryoku whispered harshly into his son's ear. Yugi, too terrified to rebel, complied.

_Yami… Please… I need you… _Yugi thought desperately as he was thrown back into a life of violence and misfortune.


	18. Chapter 18: The Weapon

**Heh Heh... Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! Uh... Enjoy the chapter! *Runs away***

* * *

_**The Shadow Realm.**_

_The very name sounded sinister and dangerous. Shadows, dark, cold, never-ending. However, luckily for the world, shadows had to have a light in order to thrive. Take out the light, you take out the shadows. The only problem was, light can't exist without dark, and dark without light. What would be left if one defeated the other? Such an impossible situation… Or perhaps there is a solution somewhere out there?_

"This new weapon… He calls it the Great Leviathan… You're sure it uses Tamashi?" Yami asked as he sat in the war council, staring down Bakura and Marik, their raid party behind them. The raid had been a success and every single member had made it back safely, minus a few cuts and bruises. Bakura and Marik may be insane but they were surprisingly good at leading groups in a safe manner.

"Of course I'm sure." Bakura growled. "I'd recognize that foul essence anywhere. The question is how did he get it?"

Yami closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have no idea. Everything from… there… was sealed, never to be opened again."

"Perhaps the seal broke?" Marik spoke up, arms crossed tightly.

"Impossible. Many lives were lost making sure the Realm would never be accessible. Everything should be deep in the core of the earth."

Kaiba shook his head thoughtfully. "This doesn't matter right now. The important thing is that Dartz _does_ have a weapon that runs on Tamashi. We need to figure out how to stop it."

Yami scowled deeply and said in a dark voice, "The only way to defeat a weapon of that magnitude is to use a weapon of equal strength."

"You're not suggesting…"

"Yami I don't think…"

"We can't. You know that."

Protests were heard all throughout the room but Yami held up his hand and silence once again reigned. "It may be the only way. I'm not fond of using it either, but it's that or allow Dartz to use this weapon. At least when we use Tamashi, we can somewhat control them and the destruction they cause. In the hands of evil, Dartz could very well destroy the world." Nothing else was said. The truth was in front of them, despite the unease of the idea. "And so we must return. However, I won't be able to do it alone. I suggest those who have the most experience with the Realm come with me." Bakura, Marik, and Kaiba nodded their consent.

This led the group of four to their place standing in front of the ruins of an ancient building. Sand stretched for miles around them, nothing else to be seen. Only the rough redness of the Ancient Egyptian stone demanded their attention.

"Feels like home, doesn't it?" Yami asked, his voice strained and dark.

Indeed, the Egyptian atmosphere matched their ancestry. Yami recalled his family was considered royalty on Egyptian soil since long ago. Perhaps not as a proper royal family of the land, but of the Realm. The Shadow Realm. It was a deep, dark pit filled with many mysteries, monsters, and even some magic. However, the real prize was a translucent purple stone that could only be found in the dark place known for its never-ending shadows. Chunks of this stone were known as Tamashi to all who knew about the Realm. And that was relatively nobody.

The Shadow Realm was one of the best-kept secrets, and for good reason. For these stones were not precious in the way of gold or silver. More in the way of a battery. An unbelievably powerful battery. They contained so much energy that one blast of the pure substance could take out an entire continent if used incorrectly. Use enough of it, and the whole world was in danger.

Once this terrible secret was discovered, there simply had to be someone to stop evil from taking advantage of the Shadow Realm's hidden power. And so, the Sennens were appointed. Considered the royalty of the Shadow Realm, they ruled every decision made about the pit. But, even this powerful family wasn't enough by themselves. They had many people who helped protect the Realm, such as the Ishtars and Kaibas, hence Marik and Seto Kaiba's relation.

The Shadow Realm was safely hidden away for a very long time. However, light cannot forever rule, for where there is light, there is dark. The power was bound to be exploited by evil, and so it was. Bakura's great ancestor, also known as Akefia, had tried to take over, as every greedy villain did. The great protectors fought their mightiest and managed to save the land they loved, though it was much too close to comfort. They were forced to use every power they possessed, the magic powers gained by exposure to the Realm, muscle, even weapons containing Tamashi.

Though the earth was saved, a devastating amount was lost. Too much. It was decided. The Shadow Realm must be destroyed to prevent this from happening again. And so, the pit was sealed, collapsed, contained with all the magic they possessed… at the cost of many lives. Friends and family were lost in order to save millions of people who would never know of their existence, their sacrifice.

And now Yami was about to enter the remains of the gateway to the Realm. Yami motioned forward with his hand and the group stalked through the ruins cautiously until they reached their destination. A dark pit of stairs leading down. Yami carefully touched the magic barrier and found what he was expecting. Just as the barrier making the place invisible to unknowing eyes was as strong as ever, so was the barrier preventing anyone from entering.

Taking a deep breath, Yami took out the key. A gleaming, golden puzzle. After inserting it in the hidden lock, the group entered the darkness.

Endless shadows and stairs later, they came across the chamber they had been searching for. Once again using the key, the quartet crossed the threshold. Inside laid the beast of all weapons. A huge, metal contraption that had unbelievable power, appropriately named The Three Egyptian Gods.

* * *

**I apologize that a lot of you are very distressed about little Yugi's situation. Unfortunately, this one's all about Yami, but we'll get to Yugi soon, don't worry.**


	19. Chapter 19: Meet Me On The Battlefield

**A new year, another resolution long gone already. Well anyways, sorry for the wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. I think it's one of my best, even if it is very depressing. Consider yourself warned. Anyways, this is another song chapter. The song I used is Battlefield by SVRCINA. (lyrics in italics, I also don't own it) Enjoy! -Please tell me how you feel about it-**

* * *

Yugi quietly cried in his makeshift bedroom A.K.A. the basement. He was afraid to make any noise in case it made his father mad resulting in yet another beating.

Another month had passed, at least Yugi thought. It was hard to keep track of time in the darkness of the basement and the brief times he was allowed upstairs. Everything hurt by now. The beatings had only gotten worse since the time he'd been with Yami. Despite his parents complete lack of care for their son; they seemed to care quite a bit about Yugi's absence, thinking he was trying to get away from them. In short, they were furious, and Yugi would pay for it with pain.

Yet Yugi refused to give up hope. Yami _would _come back and Yami _would _rescue him. There was no doubting that, for if he did, there was nothing left.

* * *

Two enemies facing each other down amid a sea of the dead, the hopeless, the weary.

_No time for rest  
No pillow for my head  
Nowhere to run from this  
No way to forget_

Yami looked to his side, his faithful soldiers. Marik and Bakura stood to his left, their faces full of malice and determination. To his right stood Kaiba and Joey, stony-faced, a force to be reckoned with hiding in their eyes. Behind him, standing in front of his troops, was Tristan. The general fed courage to his men with nods, pats on the back, and his own solid, confident stance. Tea, of course, was behind the scenes, ready to take the enemy by surprise as always.

_Around the shadows creep  
Like friends, they cover me  
Just wanna lay me down and finally  
Try to get some sleep_

Yami himself had a powerful aura of shadow magic, easily matching that of the turquoise-haired, heterochromia man standing directly across the desolate field of bodies. The soldiers standing behind the evil leader were shifting nervously from the deadly vibes emitting from the opposing force.

_We carry on through the storm  
Tired soldiers in this war  
Remember what we're fighting for_

War. The life-threatening, soul-tearing, insanity-driven battle of two sides fighting for what they believed was right. This, leaving behind a trail of destruction so great, each single member of the fight leaving behind a devastating blow. Each death leaving behind a heart-break. Yet what it comes down to is the fight to save the life of that heart-break they leave behind.

_Meet me on the battlefield  
Even on the darkest night  
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage  
And you will be mine_

Yami fought for the world, yes, for the safety of an endless amount of lives, but more specifically for one. For Yugi. For Yugi would he end this war, for Yugi he would risk his life, for Yugi he would use the monstrous machine behind him, glowing a ghastly purple. The hulking pile of metal opposing could easily match the mass of the Three Egyptian Gods, but in power and destruction, that was yet to be decided.

_Echoes and the shots ring out  
We may be the first to fall  
Everything could stay the same or we could change it all_

The seconds ticked by, oppressing and full of tension. Dartz lifted his hand to give the signal. Yami smirked, 'the first to move was the first to lose' as his father had always told him. As the cry of the enemy soldiers rang out, Yami turned his back and walked into the crowd of his own army.

_Meet me on the battlefield_

Kaiba and Bakura flanked him, Marik and Joey stepping into the places they left behind to lead the overall troops in their place. Yami looked up into the face of the swirling red, blue, and gold metal beast. It was time to end this.

_We're standing face-to-face  
With our own human race  
We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay_

Yugi shook with fear as the sound of feet stomping down the stairs met his ears. Here we go again. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and prayed with all his might. _Please Yami, please come save me. Please…_ As the footsteps stopped, Yugi looked into the smirking, dangerous face of his… not father. Never father.

_Our tainted history, is playing on repeat  
But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead_

The purple glow seemed to cover everything as both machines charged up, each loaded with Tamashi. Soldiers fought uselessly below, for the end of this war did not lie with them, but with the two massive weapons on either side.

_When I was younger, I was named  
A generation unafraid  
For heirs to come, be brave_

Yami stood deathly still and calm, lending his own shadow magic to aid the Three Egyptian Gods. Beside him stood his two loyal friends, following their trusted leader and friend's lead.

_And meet me on the battlefield  
Even on the darkest night  
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage  
And you will be mine_

Suddenly Yami raised a hand and slashed it outward, shouting a command. Quickly a retreat was issued, his brave soldiers rushing back to the camp. The enemy soldiers attempted to follow them, but with a quick incantation they were met with an impenetrable wall of shadows. While useless in the face of the deadly weapons about to fire, it protected his fleeing men from the enemy on the ground.

_Echoes and the shots ring out  
We may be the first to fall  
Everything could stay the same or we could change it all_

Two blasts, earth-shattering, deadly, final. Two energy forces rushing to meet each other on the field of broken dreams, cloaked in shadows and blood.

_Meet me on the battlefield_

The connection of pure, unrestrained energy, fighting to overpower one another. Yami, Kaiba, and Bakura grunted at the push against their magic. Pushing, pulling, breaking, No! Fighting, clawing, freeing, _winning. _

_We carry on through the storm  
Tired soldiers in this war  
Remember what we're fighting for_

With an incredible burst that shook the ground and knocked all but the deepest participants to the ground broke through the air. A scream, a soul lost, and the pulsing purple energy rushed into the enemy camp, engulfing it and wiping it off the face of the planet.

_Meet me on the battlefield  
Even on the darkest night  
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage  
And you will be mine_

There was a moment of stunned silence as the war-weary soldiers witnessed the absolute end of the war. A beat more, then a great cry of victory. Soldiers broke ranks in favor of celebrating, chaos reigned once more, but a different kind. Yami fell to his knees, exhausted, only able to smile and think a single thought. _We won Yugi. _Then darkness, oppressing shadow.

_Echoes and the shots ring out  
We may be the first to fall  
Everything could stay the same or we could change it all  
(We can change it all)_

Yugi sobbed on the floor, no longer caring about the noise he made, only the torment and pain he felt. _I can't take much more, please I can't. _Yugi thought desperately as he crawled to his disgusting mattress, the closest thing he had to a bed.

_Meet me on the battlefield_

Yugi let memories of Yami flood his thoughts, blocking out some of the pain, and with a final plea for rescue, restless dreams consumed him.

_Meet me on the battlefield  
(We could change it all)_


End file.
